Assessing and addressing social determinants of health in school-based health centers in King County, Washington.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) can reduce barriers to accessing care for school-aged children and adolescents. However, current practices related to screening for and responding to social determinants of health (SDOH) in SBHCs are unknown. Our study sought to understand SBHC staff's knowledge related to SDOH, and their screening and referral practices for addressing SDOH.

Methods

This study was conducted with all SBHCs in King County, Washington (n = 30 clinics operated by n = 8 agencies) between January-March 2022. Data were collected using a web-based questionnaire, distributed to all provider and clinical care staff (n = 222) in these SHBCs.

Results

While respondents had strong generalized knowledge regarding SDOH and how they impact health, they wer

SUBMITTER: Gersch V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10959698 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature