A Review of the Social Determinants of Health - Income Inequality and Education Inequality: Why Place Matters in U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Rates

Abstract

The Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) frames health outcomes and health behaviors according to geography. In low income communities, safety is compromised, food deserts are prevalent and gaps in educational achievement persist among the most vulnerable members in society, including disenfranchised teenagers. The purpose of this study is to examine the links between critical social determinants and teen pregnancy. This paper considers the association between racial disparities and teenage pregnancy, albeit in the context of the SDoH as race alone does not afford incisive acumen on the dynamics within disenfranchised communities that perpetuate unhealthy behaviors. Additional considerations of the physical and social conditions in the built environment present a more progressive solution to eliminate teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. Policymakers can eliminate teenage pregnancy rates by channelling critical material resources to create sustainable, equitable and liable areas where low income teens can thrive.