8.8: Social and Community Context
The social and community context in which people live includes many different factors that don’t necessarily fall into (but are influenced by) the other categories. Social factors that improve health outcomes center around how connected people feel to each other and how much they feel that they can contribute to and change their communities for the better. Actions like civic participation - which can range from membership in sports and recreation clubs to voting and volunteerism - help people feel both connected to their communities and empowered to make changes that benefit everyone. Conversely, high levels of incarceration of the community members disrupts the social fabric and can also decrease trust in local government and emergency services. Discrimination is also a social factor - whether systemic or interpersonal - that leads to breakdowns in community connectedness and trust. And all of these factors influence the health outcomes of individuals, their families, friends, neighbors, and community at large.