Page 34 - Layout 1

SAN ANTONIO SAN ANTONIO
MEDICINE MEDICINE

How Social Determinants of Health

Impact Wellness Programs

By Roxanne Leal
There are many factors that affect our health. We trition or how to create a healthy living environment
know that eating well, exercising and seeing a doctor to equip me with the proper resources for leading a
when we are sick are simple steps that we can take to healthy lifestyle.
keep ourselves healthy, but our health is also affected How do we change this? I believe the key is educa-
by access to social and economic opportunities. Social tion. When I was 18 years old, a friend took the time
determinants of health include the following factors: to show me how to eat healthy and the importance of
exercise. I was able to change my nutrition and start
• Socioeconomic status engaging in regular physical exercise, which improved
• Education my overall well-being and enhanced my enthusiasm
• Neighborhood (zip code) for living a healthy lifestyle. This friend is the reason I
• Physical environment got into the corporate health world. Every time I make derstanding the population is the first step to creating meet realistic goals and expectations, your employees’
• Employment a nutrient-packed smoothie or go for a jog, I thank a successful targeted program. According to the Office needs, your communication plan objectives and your
• Social networks that friend. Thanks to that introduction to healthy liv- of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, “By business’s requirements.
• Access to care ing, I devoted my career to creating those opportuni- working to establish workplace policies that positively
ties for others. influence social and economic conditions and those Developing Healthy Partnerships
According to the Centers for Disease Control, Reaching out to those individuals who need educa- that support changes in individual behavior, we can By taking the time to develop partnerships with
“Poverty limits access to healthy foods and safe neigh- tional resources can create positive change in the improve health for large numbers of people in ways local health vendors such as dietitians, fitness trainers
borhoods and more education is a predictor of better health of any employee population. The most effective that can be sustained over time.” Understanding the and mental health professionals, and making access to
health. We also know that differences in health are and successful benefits programs are only further en- demographics of your workforce can help you deter- these services easy to access and understand, organi-
striking in communities with poor social determinants hanced by education—both for leadership and em- mine what types of benefits will be most effective for zations can provide their employees with resources
of health, such as unstable housing, low income, un- ployees. Through regular communication, you can your business and employees. and services that will help them stay healthy.
safe neighborhoods, or substandard education.” give your employees tips on leading a healthy lifestyle Whether your organization would like to add a cor-
Addressing social determinants of health is impor- such as balanced nutrition, regular exercise and regular Building the Best Wellness Program for Your porate wellness program to your employee benefits
tant for improving health and reducing health dispar- health screenings. Provide information on the effects Employees plan, or would like to enhance an existing program,
ities. Studies propose that health behaviors such as of smoking, obesity, alcohol use and unhealthy prac- It’s important that you understand how your em- SWBC’s Employee Benefits Consulting Group can
smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise and social and eco- tices that can lead to high blood pressure, high choles- ployees feel about the benefits you’re offering them so provide consulting services to help you design and
nomic factors are the main drivers of health outcomes, terol, stress and depression. that you can continue to optimize your program over maintain a plan that meets the requirements of your
and that social and economic factors can shape indi- time. You can find out how your employees feel about organization. SWBC can provide the analytical sup-
viduals’ health behaviors. Not only are social determi- Understanding Your Employee Population your program by conducting surveys, analyzing port, develop custom communication materials and
nants of health important factors that affect overall The success of a targeted wellness program is de- provider reports, or studying provider and actuarial assess the benefit to your company. Visit swb.us/cus-
health, but addressing them can also help reduce fined by each organization’s unique employee pop- research. If you’re aware of what your employees like tom-benefits to learn more.
health disparities that are often rooted in social and ulation. Building a successful wellness program that or don’t like about their benefits, you can make an ef-
economic disadvantages. positively impacts the health of your employees be- fort to highlight those things in your regular commu- Roxanne Leal has been with SWBC since
gins with understanding their demographic makeup, nication. For example, if your plan includes a free December 2019. As a Wellness Program
Education is Key baseline health status, and overall health and well- annual biometric screening but your employees do not Manager, Roxanne specializes in developing
I grew up with my grandparents in a low-income ness education. take advantage of it, you can include reminders in your strategic wellness programs based on high-cost claims,
community where nutrition wasn’t a high priority. As When creating wellness programs for your employ- communication program. Learning how your employ- survey data and aggregate reports. She has worked in the
in the case with many low-income families, my grand- ees, it’s crucial to understand their living conditions, ees feel about their benefits will arm you with the in- health & wellness industry for over 7 years. SWBC is a
parents did not really know enough about proper nu- income and education levels and access to care. Un- formation you need to revise your communications to Gold Circle of Friends Sponsor of the BCMS.

34 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • October 2021 Visit us at www.bcms.org 35