Week 1 · Adaptive Planning Program

3. Social Determinants and Equity Analysis

30 min

Effective program planning must be rooted in equity, not just equality. This lesson critiques the common default to individual-level interventions and pivots to the “causes of the causes” rooted in policy and environment.

We break down the five domains of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and introduce the concept of Structural Competency, equipping you to design interventions that address systemic barriers rather than just cultural differences.

Practice quiz

Question 1
How does the lesson distinguish equity from equality in program planning?
- Equality means giving every person identical resources, while equity means rooting interventions in the policy and environmental causes of the causes.
- Equality is a legal standard, while equity is a marketing concept used to attract funders.
- Equality requires randomized trials, while equity relies on qualitative interviews.
- Equality is achieved through individual education campaigns, while equity is achieved through stricter eligibility criteria.
Question 2
Which concept does the lesson introduce to help planners design interventions that target systemic barriers rather than just cultural differences?
- Cultural humility scoring.
- Structural Competency.
- Behavioral nudging.
- Patient activation measurement.
Reflection 3
Give one example of a ‘cause of the causes’ your program might address, and explain why it sits at the structural rather than individual level.

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