Megan Galloway

     As a result of my time at the University of South Carolina, I am extremely confident in my understanding of the role of the socio-behavioral sciences in the determinants and prevention of public health problems. Many of the courses that I have completed focus on this topic. More specifically, several classes have spent copious time examining different approaches of how genetics, environment, and behavior are the basic factors that determine health and longevity. Within the first two weeks of “Psychology of Physical Activity” (EXSC410) lectures, we had already begun learning about the socio-behavioral theories and models that affect physical activity and therefore relate to the determinants and prevention of public health problems. This is similar to other classes that I have completed because these important factors that relate to health are widely agreed upon. Health Problems in a Changing Society (HPEB511) had a portion of the course dedicated to the socio-behavioral theories and models of health promotion. An important model that was studied in this class is the Social Ecological Model (SEM), which is a framework that can be used to address the array of factors by which physical activity levels are determined. As seen in Artifact 3, the SEM has the individual at its center; however, it further addresses the multiple levels of influence on our behavior, including interpersonal factors, organizational/institutional factors, community factors, and policy factors. This theory illustrated for me how it could be difficult for a family living in poverty to get the recommended amount of daily physical activity because the physical and cultural environments around them may not be conducive for it. My understanding of the relationship between these factors was strengthened by my completion of a Neighborhood Walkability Analysis in HPEB511. As seen in Artifact 4, I utilized a combination of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale and the Active Neighborhood Checklist to analyze how “walkable” my neighborhood is and to determine how its walkability and the built environment affect physical activity. The two aforementioned evaluation tools take into account the elements that comprise the SEM, particularly the community and policy factors. “Applied Aspects of Human Nutrition” (HPEB502) emphasized the correlation between an individual’s socioeconomic status (SES) and health disparities in the chapter about malnutrition. The common factor of those who do not receive adequate nutrition is almost always due to their lower SES, or simply because they live in a developing country and do not have sufficient resources. If an individual cannot afford to buy nutritious food or take the time to exercise, then their risk for the development of health problems drastically increases.

     My understanding of the topic was further strengthened outside of the classroom when I was able to recognize this function of the socio-behavioral sciences and how they play a role in the determination of individual and population health. Through my volunteer internship at Harvest Hope Food Bank as a USC Community Service Ambassador over the past 5 months, I have seen this role of the socio-behavioral sciences play out. The clients that receive services from Harvest Hope are considered to have a low SES. Approximately ninety percent of the time, they also have several health problems in which they inform us of during the intake process. These range from debilitating issues that keep them from being able to work, to obesity and high blood pressure, to poor overall hygiene, which can lead to an array of other health problems as well. All of these health issues contribute to the deepening of their poverty levels due to the high cost of health insurance and services, and they are unable to work because it is often difficult to get a job when one has serious health problems such as the majority of our clients. After hearing the stories of many clients that I serve each week, it has become clear that their low SES causes them to be stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of poor health and poverty. More specifically, their financial situation of being in poverty does not allow them to maintain a sufficient level of health and wellbeing; then they develop chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, both of which require expensive medications. They often have to sacrifice purchasing food to buy these expensive yet necessary medications, which puts them even further into a financial hole, therefore cycling them into even deeper poverty. Furthermore, many people who find themselves in these difficult situations have come from harsh environments that did not encourage high achievement because in addition to living in these unsatisfactory environments, children learn unproductive behaviors from their parents, which is why these social inequalities can be said to be passed down through the generations via social reproduction. In conclusion, various genetics, environmental factors, and behaviors can lead to varying lifestyles, which in turn leads to various health outcomes for different populations. If we, as a society, can become aware of these interactions and alter some of these determining variables, then we may be able to reduce the chances of negative outcomes for individuals that come from unsatisfactory backgrounds.

     By taking these factors into account that I have learned in the classroom and experienced outside of the classroom, I decided that I wanted to at least begin the process of promoting a lifestyle change for the families that utilize the services at Harvest Hope Food Bank by creating some sort of informative flyer to be distributed or poster to be displayed at the food bank. While doing some research on how to promote healthy family lifestyles in low-income communities, I discovered a flyer that touched upon the important aspects that I wanted to address, including proper nutrition, physical activity, and sleep. As seen in Artifact 5, the flyer gives information on how to eat right, get an adequate amount of playtime, and get enough sleep, all of which are very important determinants in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Despite a family’s amount of free time or overall SES, there should always be time set aside for parents to aid their children in reaching these adequate levels, and it is our responsibility as students that are well versed in the promotion of public health to encourage parents to adhere to these vital recommendations. Though the flyer serves as a professional example that highlights important intrapersonal and interpersonal determinants that play a role in the production and maintenance of a healthy family lifestyle, it does not account for all of the upstream determinants, such as the organizational/institutional, community, and policy levels. More specifically, the flyer addresses factors that an individual family might be able to change together on an interpersonal level, but does not address how a family might make these vital lifestyle changes if they reside in an unsafe neighborhood, work multiple jobs, or are suffering from food deserts. By making the clients aware of these important lifestyle adjustments, we might begin to see lower SES children growing up with a better chance for a healthy and productive lifestyle.