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Symposium

Social Research, Policy, and Practice

ESPO and Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section Symposium: Law as a Determinant of Health: A Social Justice Lens to Impactful Policy Engagement

Wednesday, November 8, 2023
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM ET
Location: Room 109

The phrase “social determinants of health” has become a buzzword in health-related research and practice. While the US has long recognized that social determinants such as housing conditions, access to medical care, and neighborhood safety contribute to health outcomes, there has been little attention on more upstream factors. Structural, or political determinants of health are the determinants of the determinants. Political determinants of health refer to laws and policies that can inequitably distribute resources which creates structural barriers to equity for population groups that lack power and privilege. Unfortunately, many current US laws and policies perpetuate health inequities as they were originally written to protect those in power and punish those without power and privilege. Structural stigma and discrimination disproportionately affect historically marginalized and minoritized populations. Laws that disproportionately affect historically marginalized groups need to be identified, systemically tracked and revised if we aim to address health equity. In this symposium, speakers will discuss their research into the health-harming effects of laws and policies that disproportionately affect people of color and older adults. Speaker one will review GSA-related policy and advocacy activities. Speaker two will describe how to use law to address racial disparities in geographic access. Speaker three will discuss housing related laws and policies that perpetuate health inequities for older adults and disproportionately affect people from marginalized groups. This session is intended to fill a gap in current programming by making policy-related discussions more accessible and understandable for individuals who may not have experience in this area.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will describe how laws and policies in the US have been purposefully created to perpetuate racism and social injustice.
  • Participants will identify ways in which such laws and policies can disproportionately affect older adults.
  • Participants will apply a policy-lens to their current programs of research to examine how their findings may influence policy and foster equity.

Presentations:

  • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM ET
    A Life Course Approach to Identifying Eviction Laws Affecting Older Adults and Historically Marginalized Groups

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Sara Bybee, PhD, LCSW (she/her/hers) – University of Utah

  • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM ET
    Beyond Redlining: Law, Property Values, Racial Inequities, and LTSS

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Lindsey Smith, PhD, MPP (she/her/hers) – Oregon Health & Science University

  • 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM ET
    Meaningful Lives for All As We Age: Policy and Advocacy Perspectives From the GSA Policy Team

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Patricia M. D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP (she/her/hers) – The Gerontological Society of America