PUBLIC HEALTH APPLIED PRACTICE ACTIVITY-VIRTUAL POVERTY SIMULATION

Poverty is a pervasive and complex issue with profound implications for individual and population health. Far from being solely an economic problem, its tendrils extend deeply into the social, political, and economic determinants of health, shaping the very fabric of well-being and contributing significantly to health inequities. This activity engages learners in a powerful experiential learning tool. By immersing participants in the realities and challenges faced by low-income individuals and families, this simulation provides a visceral understanding of how the social determinants of health – encompassing factors like access to education, stable housing and employment, nutritious food, safe environments, and equitable policy – interact to create barriers to health. Through this lens, we will explore how poverty simulations illuminate the mechanisms by which these determinants contribute to differential health outcomes across populations, thereby exacerbating health inequities and underscoring the critical role of public health in addressing the root causes of poor health.

Upon completing the course, participants will be prompted to submit responses to the following questions:

• How many tries did it take to get through a month in the Spent exercise (if you could at all). What did you have to do to get through the month?
• In relation to poverty, discuss the social, political and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities.
• Describe one technique that you think will reduce the impact of determinants/disparities in relation to your specific public health practitioner role?