The Association Between Social Determinants of Health, Risk Factors, Job Performance, and Health Care Costs in an Employed Population

• Published in: Journal of occupational and environmental medicine Vol. 66; no. 7; p. 536
• Main Authors: Burton, Wayne N, Schultz, Alyssa B, Shepherd, Martha E, Hines, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Adult; Black or African American - statistics & numerical data; Employment - statistics & numerical data; Female; Health Care Costs - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Social Determinants of Health; United States; White People - statistics & numerical data; Work Performance; Young Adult; United States
• ISSN: 1536-5948
• DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003106

The aim of the study is to compare employees of a US school district based on their social determinants of health (SDoH). Methods: Employees ( N = 5006) were categorized into low-, medium-, or high-need SDoH tiers. Of them, n = 2469 also participated in a health risk appraisal in 2019. Subjects' average health care costs, health risk factors, and self-rated job performance were compared by SDoH tier and race. Results: Significant differences were observed among the SDoH comparison groups regarding age, gender, race, and marital status. SDoH was associated with health care costs, number of health risk factors, and self-rated job performance differently for Black and White employees. Conclusions: SDoH are complex and multifaceted. Black employees in the high-need SDoH group had higher average health care costs, lower self-rated job performance, and more average health risk factors than subjects in the lower need tiers.