For this paper you will choose a specific target population that is affected by the various social/ behavioral determinants of health; that experiences some of the health disparities we have covered in class. You will research the social/behavioral determinants of health that are most influential in the target population you have chosen, describe the health disparities that most affect this population, and suggest an intervention to reduce the negative determinants of these health disparities. General guidelines: All information must be properly cited using at least 10 peer-reviewed or other scientific sources (e.g. government data). The paper should be 8-10 pages long (no longer or shorter), double-spaced, using Times New Roman size 12 font and 1-inch margins. Please include page numbers on your paper. The paper and references should be formatted in accordance with the American Psychological Association 6th Edition standards. A guide to APA formatting is available at https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ Each labeled with a Heading: • Background (1 page): Provide a background on the target population. How is this population defined? How large is this population? Describe the social and demographic characteristics of this population (age, sex, gender, race/ethnicity, country of origin, and other relevant characteristics). • Health Outcomes and Disparities (2 pages): Discuss 2 negative health outcomes that are disproportionately present in your target population. Compare the prevalence of each outcome in your target population to its prevalence in the general US population. What are the historical trends in each outcome (has it gotten better or worse in recent decades?)? • Social Determinants (2 pages): Provide a literature review of the 4 social determinants of health that are most closely associated with the occurrence of health disparities in this population in the outcomes discussed above. Describe how each social determinant is related to the health outcome. What is the mechanism? • Intervention (2 pages): Discuss one existing intervention that has succeeded in reducing health disparities in this population. Describe the components of the intervention and the social determinants and health outcome it targets. Describe the outcomes that the intervention has produced. Then, propose one new intervention that could be applied in this population to reduce a different negative health outcome (not the one targeted by the existing intervention). Describe the components of the proposed intervention and the social determinants and health outcome it will target. • Conclusion (1 page): Summarize your paper and make your final point of why it is crucial to reduce health disparities among the target population.
