NASW Practice Perspectives: Environmental Health Inequities: A Social Work Perspective

National NASW Health Practice Tools

Health is affected by the convergence of environmental, lifestyle, and genetic factors. Experts now agree that at least eighty percent of health outcomes are determined by circumstances outside of medical services (Magnon 2017). These factors are commonly referred to as the social determinants. The social determinants of health encompass the

environment, socioeconomic factors, individual health behaviors, and health care access, all which interact to drive health outcomes (Magnon 2017). Social work’s person-in-environment

perspective takes these biopsychosocial factors into account to inform practice, and social workers have expertise in addressing social needs (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2019).

Please click the following link for a new NASW Practice Perspectives: "Environmental Health Inequities: A Social Work Perspective."