The U.S. has the best- and most expensive- medical treatments in the world, yet Americans have shorter life expectancies and higher infant mortality rates than most other developed nations. The failure to consider the social, psychological, and behavioral causes of health can and does cost lives. This course explores questions such as "What is health?" "How does stress get under our skin?" "Is your zip code a better predictor of health than your genetics?" "How are we treated differently by doctors depending on our gender, race, or age?" and "Why is it so hard to change our individual behavior?" We will use discussions, case studies, research literature, news articles, and videos to introduce students to the social determinants of health and to identify strategies to reduce health disparities.

The U.S. has the best- and most expensive- medical treatments in the world, yet Americans have shorter life expectancies and higher infant mortality rates than most other developed nations. The failure to consider the social, psychological, and behavioral causes of health can and does cost lives. This course explores questions such as "What is health?" "How does stress get under our skin?" "Is your zip code a better predictor of health than your genetics?" "How are we treated differently by doctors depending on our gender, race, or age?" and "Why is it so hard to change our individual behavior?" We will use discussions, case studies, research literature, news articles, and videos to introduce students to the social determinants of health and to identify strategies to reduce health disparities.