From ThinkAnthem.com

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What’s Driving Our Health

Improving the health of our nation starts with broadening our view of what health means.
That’s why we’re starting a national conversation around whole health and the factors that drive it.

HEALTH IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS.
BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE’RE SEEING THE BIG PICTURE OF WHOLE HEALTH.

  • Maternal Health

    Supporting women and families through the maternal health journey is a core part of Anthem's goal to advance health equity for all people.

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  • Health Equity

    Health equity means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Raising awareness about how equity impacts all areas of our well-being is an essential step to improving the health of our nation.

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Jump to Key Terms & Definitions

Taking a holistic view of health that includes social, behavioral, and physical drivers can have the greatest impact on our whole health. However, we have historically viewed health mostly as a product of the medical care we receive.

In reality, where we live, our financial circumstances, our access to affordable, nutritious foods, and other non-medical factors overwhelmingly influence our health. These factors are called social drivers of health (SDH), and they determine up to 80%* of our health outcomes. We aim to deepen Americans' understanding of these social drivers, and all the factors that comprise whole health, to improve the health of people across the nation.

*RWJF: Medicaid's Role in Addressing Social Determinants of Health 2019

DRIVING OUR HEALTH: A STUDY EXPLORING HEALTH PERCEPTIONS IN AMERICA

Broadening our view of health starts with understanding what people currently believe. How do we think we are being affected by drivers like food, housing, and transportation? How do we think others are affected? Do we even believe that social drivers play a role in our health?

To help answer these questions, we conducted a survey of 5,000 nationally representative adults to provide a benchmark for how Americans think about whole health at this unique moment in time.

KEY FINDINGS

  • Education can help people connect the dots on whole health.

      • Nearly half of Americans (46%) are unaware of the concept of social drivers of health.

      0%

      • Once given the definition of SDH, 60% of Americans agree that their local community is facing at least some health issues related to SDH.

      0%

  • WHAT AMERICANS BELIEVE IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTING THEIR HEALTH.

    • 57%

      Financial stability

    • 56%

      Mental health

    • 56%

      Living in a safe community

    • 53%

      Access to affordable and nutritious foods

    VS.

    • 39%

      Access to the internet

    • 37%

      Level of education

    • 37%

      Access to nature

  • Many Americans face unmet social, economic, and health needs.

    1/3

    Nearly 1/3 of Americans have altered their eating habits due to financial concerns.

    • 50% say it is hard to find affordable, healthy food in their local community​

    • 1 in 5 say lack of transportation has kept them from medical appointments, work, or getting the things they need

  • Americans of color are disproportionately affected by the consequences of SDH.

    Percentage reporting that their local community is facing at least some health issues related to SDH

    HISPANIC AND LATINO

    0%

    ASIAN

    0%

    BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN

    0%

    WHITE

    0%

  • 45% OF AMERICANS DO NOT FEEL FINANCIALLY SECURE. THE LACK OF FINANCIAL SECURITY HAS RIPPLE EFFECTS ACROSS OTHER SDH, SUCH AS FOOD AND HOUSING.

    Nearly 1/3 of Americans have altered their
    eating habits due to financial concerns.

    One in four Americans are worried about
    losing their housing.

HOW YOUR WORLD SHAPES YOUR HEALTH

SDH infographic page image

HOW YOUR WORLD SHAPES YOUR HEALTH

Whether we realize it or not, our experiences and health are shaped by social drivers every day. Explore the infographic to learn about some of the unexpected ways SDH can have a big impact on our lives and health.

SEE SDH IN ACTION

DOWNLOAD THE FULL STUDY FINDINGS

Download Driving Our Health (PDF)

KEY TERMS & DEFINITIONS

Social Drivers of Health*
Conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health and quality-of-life risks and outcomes

Whole Health
A holistic view of health that includes individuals’ physical, behavioral, and social circumstances

What’s Driving Our Health
An initiative to improve Americans’ understanding of whole health, built around Anthem’s landmark report Driving Our Health: A study exploring health perceptions in America

*CDC, Social Determinants of Health: Know What Affects Health