health.gov Blog

There’s widespread agreement that health care is not the principal driver of health. Rather, the conditions in the places where people live, work, and play — what many refer to as social determinants of health — have the greatest influence on our health. Organizational health literacy — the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others — is one of those key social determinants.

This post describes how K-State Research and Extension, a Healthy People 2030 Champion ,contributed to progress toward Healthy People 2020 objectives—as well as Healthy People 2030 objectives under the social determinants of health domain Economic Stability.

We developed the Move Your Way Community Playbook, an implementation guide to help organizations plan for, conduct, and evaluate physical activity campaigns and activities. The playbook offers tips and resources for any community organization — no matter its size, budget, or prior experience with physical activity programs.

Contemporary approaches to healthy living, with an increasing attentiveness to social determinants of health and the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being, hold potential — even real promise — to provide us with longer and greater-quality lives, especially through our later years. Focusing and sustaining meaningful action in support of that potential — that promise — requires a broader perspective on healthy aging and an open and inclusive conversation on the subject.