HSC 210 Module 5 Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities Worksheet Example

Reviewed by Emmett Rockwell, MBA Arizona State University Updated October 2026

This HSC 210 Module 5 sample is the Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities Worksheet in Cultural Aspects of Health, a Health Sciences course at ASU that also meets a general studies requirement. Worth 50 points, the ASU HSC 210 worksheet asks students to use peer-reviewed research and community data to show how social conditions shape health among diverse groups and in their own community, then name resources and strategies for equity. The composite student, who lives in Tucson, works through each section for Pima County: a definition, county estimates on food, housing, transportation and social support, national evidence on income and life expectancy, the groups most affected, local resources and three strategies.

CourseHSC 210 Cultural Aspects of Health
ModuleModule 5
Paper typeSDOH worksheet
LengthAbout 491 words, 4 pages
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolArizona State University
ProgramBS in Health Sciences
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for HSC 210 Module 5

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Social Determinants of Health in Pima County, Arizona: A Worksheet on Disparities and Equity

Student Name

BS in Health Sciences, Arizona State University

HSC 210: Cultural Aspects of Health

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title names the community the worksheet investigates.
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Social Determinants of Health in Pima County, Arizona: A Worksheet on Disparities and Equity

Section 1: Defining Social Determinants of Health

Public health uses the term social determinants for the circumstances of daily life across the life span and the underlying forces, such as income, wealth and education, that shape them (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014). They act on health partly through behavior and partly through stress, access to care and environmental exposures.

Section 2: Social Determinants in My Community

Source: modeled county estimates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2025).

These estimates show that roughly one adult in seven worries about food and one in nine about housing. In my own neighborhood on Tucson's south side, I see long bus waits in summer heat and few full-service grocery stores, which fits the transportation and food estimates.

Measure, Pima County adults (2023)PercentConfidence interval
Food insecurity, past year14.5%12.0 to 17.3
Housing insecurity in the past 12 months11.2%9.3 to 13.2
Lack of reliable transportation8.7%7.4 to 10.1
Lack of social and emotional support25.5%22.6 to 28.6
Received SNAP benefits10.5%8.6 to 12.8

Section 3: How Social Determinants Influence Health

Income is one of the most powerful determinants. Using 1.4 billion tax records, researchers found that life expectancy rose steadily with income; the gap between the richest and poorest 1% of Americans was about 15 years for men and 10 years for women, and the gap was larger in some places than others (Chetty et al., 2016). Income shapes where people live, what they eat, how much stress they carry and whether they can afford care.

What this page is doingPairing a national study with local estimates shows both how strong a determinant is and how it appears close to home.
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Section 4: Populations Most Affected

In Pima County, groups at higher risk include low-income families, residents of rural areas and tribal lands such as the Tohono O'odham Nation, older adults living alone, people without cars in a spread-out city and some immigrant households who may avoid public programs. These groups often face several determinants at once, such as low income, unstable housing and limited transportation.

Section 5: Resources in My Community

Food: the regional community food bank and its mobile pantries; SNAP and WIC offices. Housing: county and city emergency rental assistance programs and housing counseling. Transportation: the regional transit system's reduced fares for older adults, people with disabilities and low-income riders. Social support: senior centers, faith communities and community health workers at local health centers.

Section 6: Strategies for Health Equity

1. Screen for social needs in clinics and link patients directly to resources, rather than handing out lists.

2. Support policies that raise income and housing stability, since these address the causes of the causes (Braveman & Gottlieb, 2014).

3. Involve affected communities in planning, so services match real barriers such as summer heat at bus stops.

Section 7: Reflection

Before this worksheet, I thought of health mostly as personal choices. The data showed me how much my neighbors' health depends on conditions they did not choose.

References

Braveman, P., & Gottlieb, L. (2014). The social determinants of health: It's time to consider the causes of the causes. Public Health Reports, 129(Suppl. 2), 19-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549141291S206

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). PLACES: Local data for better health, county data, 2025 release [Data set]. https://data.cdc.gov/500-Cities-Places/PLACES-Local-Data-for-Better-Health-County-Data-20/swc5-untb

Chetty, R., Stepner, M., Abraham, S., Lin, S., Scuderi, B., Turner, N., Bergeron, A., & Cutler, D. (2016). The association between income and life expectancy in the United States, 2001-2014. JAMA, 315(16), 1750-1766. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.4226

HSC 210 Module 5 instructions, in plain terms

HSC 210's social determinants worksheet, a 50-point assignment, belongs to Module 5, which covers health disparities, social justice and faith beliefs. Use peer-reviewed scientific databases through the ASU Library to investigate how social determinants of health appear among diverse populations and in your own community, and identify strategies and resources that can advance health equity. Follow the worksheet's sections in Canvas in order, answer each prompt fully and cite your sources in APA. Local data, such as county estimates from public data sets, make the community sections concrete. Choose your community early so you can gather local data before the module begins. Answer each section in order.

Inside the HSC 210 Module 5 example

The sample answers seven worksheet sections. It defines social determinants with a peer-reviewed source, presents a table of county estimates with confidence intervals and connects them to the student's own observations. A national study on income and life expectancy explains how one determinant works, a section names specific groups at higher risk, and the resources and strategies sections list real types of services and three actionable steps. A short reflection closes the worksheet. The table keeps five measures readable, and the student's own neighborhood observations make the numbers concrete without replacing the research. Each strategy is phrased as an action a clinic, policymaker or community group could take. Local resources are grouped by need, which mirrors the determinants table above them.

HSC 210 Module 5 rubric: what earns full marks

The worksheet is worth 50 points. Readers check that each section is complete, that peer-reviewed sources support the definitions and evidence, that community data are specific and cited, that affected populations are identified thoughtfully and that strategies and resources are realistic. Marks drop for answers drawn only from websites, for missing local data, for strategies that are vague, such as "raise awareness," and for skipping the reflection or citations. Strong worksheets also explain why a determinant affects health, not only that it does, and match each strategy to a problem identified earlier. Clear citations for every figure protect points that are easy to lose. Specific community examples help as well. Use current data where possible.

HSC 210 Module 5 help from the desk

Start with a public data set for your county or city, then find one or two peer-reviewed articles that explain the determinants you see. Use the ASU Library database search rather than a general web search for research. List real local resources and check that they still operate. Make each strategy specific about who would do what. If you are unsure where to find local data, the desk can point you to sources. Check that every resource you list is current by visiting its website or calling. Ask a librarian for help with peer-reviewed searches if needed. Proofread every table entry against its source.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

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HSC 210 Module 5 questions, answered

Where can I find a free HSC 210 Module 5 sample paper?

The full social determinants worksheet for Pima County, Arizona, is on this page.

What are social determinants of health?

The everyday circumstances of people's lives, from housing to income, and the forces that shape them.

Where can I find social determinants data for my county?

The CDC PLACES project publishes county estimates for food, housing and transportation insecurity.

How much does income affect life expectancy?

The gap between the richest and poorest 1% of Americans was about 15 years for men and 10 for women.

When is the HSC 210 SDOH worksheet due?

In Module 5, Health Disparities, Social Justice and Faith Beliefs.