Thread by @IvaCheung

Now tweeting from the session "Connecting the social determinants of health and health literacy" with speakers Speaker: Lauri J. DeRuiter-Willems and Jennifer Cannon. #ihahlc21

https://twitter.com/IvaCheung/status/1397205651974152198

They recognized a connection between social determinants of health and health literacy, but the connection wasn't as clear to their students. Came up with a privilege activity for participants to self-reflect. #ihahlc21

Activity: 40 questions about privilege with yes/no answers. People move forward with a yes, backward with a no.

It can be intimidating or emotional to end up at the end or the front of the line.

Our history doesn't necessarily reflect our success. #ihahlc21

Modified activity asking students just to keep a tally of their statements so that the results aren't public. #ihahlc21

Purpose of the activity is to explore the intersectionality of privileges and marginalization in a less confrontational and more reflective way and to connect these to the social determinants of health. #ihahlc21

Listen to statements and think of them in terms of your own life. Yes: you've experienced it/it applies to you. No: you haven't experienced it/it does not apply to you. #ihahlc21

The statements relate to your history and experiences, like whether you had a health care provider who was the same race as you, whether you rely on public transportation, whether you inherited any wealth, etc. #ihahlc21

Asked student questions about what went through their mind as they heard the questions and answered them? How did the exercise make them think differently about their own identities, daily experience, relationships with other people? Which privileges did they inherit? #ihahlc21

Discussed with students how each of the questions related to a social determinant of health, including economic stability, neighbourhood and physical environment, education, food, community and social context, and health care system. #ihahlc21

What are the social determinant of health barriers to health literacy?
•education or language
•access—financial, time, location
•social/community support (or lack thereof)
#ihahlc21

Plain language practices are very important. Using images as tools to represent numbers, proper interpretation in other languages are also important. #ihahlc21

Do people have the financial resources to spend on improving their health? Can people easily access a health care facility? #ihahlc21

As an audience member points out, the statements in this exercise don't have much emphasis on disability, which always seems to be an afterthought. :/ #ihahlc21