Before completing this assignment, make sure to view the SEM lecture and read the Baral et al. (2013) article on the “Modified social ecological model” and the Kalinowski et al. (2019) article on “Why are young Black women at high risk for cardiovascular disease.”
The social ecological model is a widely used framework in public health research and interventions. It considers the multiple levels of influence on individual health behaviors and outcomes, including intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and societal factors. The aim of the model is to understand and address the complex interplay of these factors in order to develop effective strategies for promoting health and preventing disease.
In the article titled “Modified Social Ecological Model,” Baral et al. (2013) propose a modified version of the social ecological model that takes into account the unique challenges faced by marginalized populations, particularly in low-income and minority communities. The authors argue that the traditional social ecological model fails to adequately capture the structural and systemic barriers that contribute to health disparities. The modified model expands on the original framework by including additional layers related to policy and systems change, as well as explicitly recognizing the impact of power dynamics and social determinants of health.
The authors present a conceptual framework that incorporates these additional layers, which they argue can enhance our understanding of the mechanisms by which social, economic, and political factors shape health outcomes. They emphasize the need to address these structural determinants of health in order to achieve health equity.
The article on “Why are young Black women at high risk for cardiovascular disease” by Kalinowski et al. (2019) focuses on understanding the factors that contribute to the elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among young Black women. CVD is the leading cause of death in the United States, and Black women are disproportionately affected. The authors argue that traditional risk factors alone do not fully explain these disparities and propose a social ecological framework to better understand the complex interactions of individual, interpersonal, community, and structural factors that contribute to CVD risk.
The study reviewed the existing literature on the topic and identified several key factors that contribute to CVD risk among young Black women, including experiences of racism and discrimination, socioeconomic disadvantage, psychosocial stress, and access to healthcare. The authors argue that these factors operate across multiple levels of influence and interact in complex ways to increase the risk of CVD.
The authors highlight the importance of addressing these factors in interventions and policies aimed at reducing CVD risk among young Black women. They argue that a social ecological approach, which considers the broader social and contextual factors that shape health behaviors and outcomes, is crucial for developing effective and equitable strategies to improve cardiovascular health in this population.
Overall, both the Baral et al. (2013) and Kalinowski et al. (2019) articles highlight the importance of taking a social ecological approach to understanding health disparities and designing interventions. They both emphasize the need to consider the broader social and structural factors that contribute to health inequities, particularly among marginalized populations. By expanding the traditional social ecological model and incorporating additional layers related to policy, power dynamics, and social determinants of health, the modified model proposed by Baral et al. (2013) provides a more comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing health disparities.
The article by Kalinowski et al. (2019) further illustrates the application of the social ecological model to identify the specific factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease risk among young Black women. By considering the complex interactions of individual, interpersonal, community, and structural factors, the authors provide valuable insights for designing interventions and policies that can effectively reduce health disparities in this population.
