INTERSECTIONALITY AND HEALTH EQUITY Intersectionality is an approach to understanding and influencing the multiple forces that shape social inequalities and discrimination. (2008). Social Determinants of Health (SDH) are the conditions where people are born, grow, live, work, and age shaped by money, power, and resources that influence health outcomes. Intersectionality is a framework for health research that examines the combined effect of multiple social relations on disparate health care treatment among patients and populations. 18, No. Fundamentally, many theories on social determinants of health, including Intersectionality Theory, predicate the health of the socially marginalized—whether that be on the basis of gendered race, socioeconomic status, etc.—on a set of resources of which they are systematically deprived. Intersectionality of Health-how can health disparities be understood ... -On the outside is the distal determinants of health (affect us that we have no control over) Intermediate determinant of health (affect on how healthy we can be)(middle portion) (look at pic) 271-283. Critical Public Health: Vol. Intersectionality and Health Equity: Moving from Buzzword to Action Derrick D. Matthews, PhD, MPH Department of Health Behavior. | In this essay, we focus on the potential and promise that intersectionality holds as a lens for studying the social determinants of health, reducing health disparities, and promoting health equity and social justice. The determinants of health include: the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and; the person’s individual characteristics and behaviours. The context of people’s lives determine their health, and so blaming individuals for having poor health or crediting them for good health … Intersectionality and the determinants of health: a Canadian perspective. As such, it can serve as a useful framework for public health action to improve the social determinants of health and health equity. At the heart of health systems are people: health systems seek to serve people, are made up of people, operate through chains of relationships and are ideally based on value driven decisions based on justice, rights, respect, and equality. Wilkinson (2003) furthered the Intersectionality supports people-centred health systems. between intersectionality and the social determinants of health, and argued for an exploration of “the innovative paradigm of intersectionality to better understand and respond to the foundational causes of illness and disease” (Abstract). 3, pp. Intersectionality recognizes that people do not always belong to a single minority. African-American men are disproportionately impacted by SDH. Intersectionality, as it relates to mental health, is important for us to understand and recognize the difference in experiences of people of color, specifically black people. October 9, 2018 Filed Under: Community Engagement, Health Equity, Leadership, Social Determinants of Health This post was written by Maggie Gó mez , a former member of our team.