Social Determinants of Health and Allostatic Load Vocabulary

A comprehensive vocabulary flashcard set covering concepts of health equity, social determinants of health (SDOH), neuroendocrine stress response systems, and allostatic load.

Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS)

A scale used to measure day-to-day experiences of subjective unfair treatment, such as receiving poorer service, being treated with less respect, or facing harassment.

Health (WHO Definition)

A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Health Disparities

Differences in the burden of disease and opportunity to engage in health-optimizing behaviors that are closely linked with social, economic, or environmental disadvantages.

Health Equity

The attainment of the highest level of health for all people.

Equality (in Health Context)

The assumption that everyone benefits from the same supports, providing equal treatment regardless of individual baseline needs.

Equity vs. Justice Framework

A conceptual framework distinguishing Equality (same supports), Equity (supports tailored to needs), and Justice (removal of systemic barriers).

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

Conditions in the environments where people live, learn, work, and play that impact health, well-being, quality of life, and health behaviors.

USDHHS Model of SDOH

A framework categorizing SDOH into five core domains: Neighborhood and Built Environment, Economic Stability, Education, Social and Community Context, and Health and Health Care.

Neighborhood and Built Environment

An SDOH determinant area comprising housing quality, physical environment, public safety, access to healthy foods, and safe locations for physical activity.

Redlining Heat Gap Impact

The structural phenomenon where U.S. neighborhoods assigned lower grades (e.g., 'Hazardous') in the 1930s exhibit higher present-day temperatures than higher-graded areas.

Social and Community Context

An SDOH determinant area reflecting social capital, community interaction, norms, trust, civic participation, and experiences with discrimination.

Economic Stability

An SDOH determinant area encompassing employment, occupation, food security, income vs. wealth, and access to health insurance.

Exposure (Visibility) Bias

The observation that the more actively one looks for specific occurrences or behaviors, the more frequently they are identified.

Mere-Exposure Effect

A psychological phenomenon where individuals show a preference for people or things simply because they are familiar.

Hormones

Chemical messengers circulating in small quantities in the blood that bind to specific protein receptors to produce targeted cellular responses.

Fast-Acting Hormones

Hormones that generate rapid physiological changes, such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, insulin, and glucagon.

Slow-Acting Hormones

Hormones characterized by longer latency periods and sustained effects, such as triiodothyronine ($T_3$), thyroxine ($T_4$), growth hormone, and cortisol.

Adrenal Medulla

The inner part of the adrenal gland belonging to the sympathetic nervous system, which secretes catecholamines (80% epinephrine and norepinephrine) in response to emotional or physical stress.

Adrenal Cortex Anatomy

The outer region of the adrenal gland situated above the kidneys that secretes steroid hormones including cortisol, aldosterone, androgens, and estrogens.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis

A neuroendocrine pathway where stress causes the hypothalamus to release CRH, stimulating the anterior pituitary gland to release ACTH, which signals the adrenal cortex to secrete cortisol.

Allostatic Load (AL)

The cumulative physiological 'wear and tear' on the body resulting from sustained or chronic exposure to stress and overactivation of the HPA axis.

Biomarkers of Allostatic Load

Objective clinical parameters requiring at least one measurement across three domains: Cardiovascular (BP, cholesterol), Metabolic (glucose, A1c, waist circumference, BMI), and Immune (C-reactive protein, WBC count).