Journal of Systems Thinking · Volume 2, Issue 1 · 2022-05-11
Systemic Analysis of Socioeconomic Determinants of Health in American Kids with a Behavioral Focus
A Case Study Using the Agent Based Approach (ABA)
Beatriz Carmona
https://doi.org/10.54120/jost.2025-0071bc
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between the socioeconomic determinants of health and childhood health outcomes is vitally important to create effective health intervention programs that benefit kids across a variety of socioeconomic contexts. An emphasis on childhood health behaviors within this relationship adds a unique nuance that has not been explored yet systematically but is necessary given that habits and behaviors instilled at an early age are more
likely to last later in life. Thus, this map takes a systematic look at the relationships between and amongst these three overarching agents: socioeconomic determinants of health, childhood health behaviors, and childhood health outcomes in American kids aged 5-13. By exploring how each overarching agent relates to the parts of the others and the parts of itself using the “Agent Based Approach”, we are able to come to a more holistic understanding of how health outcomes are shaped by environmental influences, and can subsequently target intervention points by creating systematized recommendations that will have the most widespread and effective impact.
© 2022 Journal of Systems Thinking (JoST) · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
