Intro: I’m Tanesha Nicole and this is Ask A Scientist. I’m here with Dr. Tiffany Powell-Wiley from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at NIH talking about social determinants of health.

TN: Dr. Powell-Wiley, what does this mean?

TPW: These are the conditions in which we are born, where we grow up, where we live, and where we age. We are all affected by social determinants. When one community is impacted by adverse social determinants, that increases the cost of healthcare, that reduces life expectancy, and it really affects health for all populations within the United States.

TN: Your work aims to help women in Washington D.C. increase physical activity. How are you addressing social determinants in this group?

TPW: What we’re doing is making sure that the ways in which we promote physical activity for community members is tailored based on not just the individual’s needs but also the needs in the environment and within the community.

Outro: For more on social determinants of health, visit nhlbi.nih.gov