RISE looks at recent headlines concerning social determinants of health (SDoH).
Millions of Americans lacked reliable transportation in 2022, study finds
A recent analysis from the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) found 5.7 percent of adults struggled with access to reliable transportation for daily living.
Transportation remains a fundamental SDoH , necessary for tasks such as work, doctor’s appointments, and grocery shopping. Using data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, CDC researchers analyzed how many Americans struggle with having reliable transportation in their day-to-day living.
They found that 5.7 percent of adults, more than 13 million individuals, lacked reliable transportation throughout 2022, according to the report. The researchers noted that they did identify differences in who was struggling with reliable transportation by several factors, including sex, age, race, family income, education level, and geographic region.
Here’s a closer look at their findings:
- Women (6.1 percent) were more likely than men (5.3 percent) to lack transportation.
- American Indian and Alaska Native adults (17.1 percent) were more likely to lack reliable transportation compared to Asian adults (3.6 percent), white adults (4.8 percent), and Hispanic adults (6.9 percent).
- Black adults (9.2 percent) were also more likely than white and Hispanic adults to lack reliable transportation.
- Adults with family incomes less than 100 percent of the federal poverty line (FPL) were more likely (15.8 percent) to lack reliable transportation compared to those with family incomes of 400 percent of the FPL or greater (2.9 percent).
- Adults with less than a high school diploma or GED (9.7 percent) were more likely to lack transportation than adults with a college degree or higher (3.8 percent).
- There were more adults in the West North Central region of the U.S. (7.5 percent) who struggled with reliable transportation and less in the New England region (4.1 percent) compared to the national average (5.7 percent).
VA reduces homelessness by 55% with housing initiative
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), with the implementation of their Ending Veteran Homelessness initiative, has decreased homelessness among veterans by 55.3 percent from 2007 to 2022, according to a new study published by JAMA Network Open.
The initiative identified and rehoused veterans experiencing housing instability and then provided case management and wraparound clinical services. Homelessness among the general population during the same timeframe decreased by 8.6 percent compared to the 55 percent drop among veterans.
The research team credited the organization’s shift to a housing first model, increased engagement with community partners, and improved use of real-time data.
“Along with leadership commitment and resources, working to a model of care, adopting key policies, developing partnerships, and making key investments in programming and supports were critical,” they wrote. “While some of these advantages are unique to the VHA, there are other aspects and lessons learned that can be adopted by other health systems.”
HHS, Instacart partner to address food insecurity
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Instacart are partnering to scale food-as-medicine programs and improve health outcomes, according to a recent announcement. The partnership, which was announced this week at the inaugural HHS Food as Medicine Summit in Washington, D.C., aims to increase access to healthy foods, increase education around food as medicine, and develop new approaches to scale food as medicine programs across the country.
“HHS and Instacart are working together to accelerate food as medicine adoption in various health systems and communities. We are eager to build on this dynamic opportunity and we anticipate powerful outcomes through collaborative action,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra during the announcement. “One of our shared priorities is to engage the public in understanding food is medicine. We seek to help accelerate interventions and build strategies to expand successful programs to more eligible Americans. The Biden-Harris Administration is using every lever available to drive new innovations in policy, and deliver durable solutions that improve our health.”
The partnership will focus on four pillars:
- Further food as medicine research to establish evidence on clinical health outcomes, cost effectiveness, and effective program design.
- Support food as medicine strategies through policy and public funding frameworks.
- Optimize communication to educate the public on the value of food as medicine.
- Ensure food as medicine programs support diverse individuals and communities.