Module 2: Evidence-Based and Promising Approaches for Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Rural Communities
Rural communities are implementing programs to address social determinants of health (SDOH) in an effort to improve their residents' health and well-being. This toolkit identifies models and approaches to address SDOH in rural communities. SDOH are complex and differ from one place to another. Therefore, no single approach will be the right fit for every community. Many communities will find it necessary to implement a combination of different SDOH models and adapt these approaches to align with their unique local values and specific needs.
To learn how to implement and adapt rural community health programs, see Developing a Rural Community Health Program in the Rural Community Health Toolkit.
Promising approaches and models for addressing SDOH may focus on specific areas such as food access, housing, the built environment, and healthcare access, among others. In addition, some programs are designed to address several SDOH at once. These approaches often include cross-sectoral partnerships and collaboration and emphasize community- and capacity-building.
This module identifies evidence-based models and promising approaches for addressing SDOH, organized into five categories aligned with Healthy People 2030. Each category identifies promising approaches and evidence-based models being implemented in rural communities. These five categories are interdisciplinary, cutting across multiple sectors; therefore, some approaches may cross multiple areas. For example, promising approaches that focus on improving economic stability may also improve the social and community context for rural residents.