OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION

SDOH: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION

SDOH: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION

Opportunities for Civic Participation

Civic participation encompasses a wide range of formal and informal activities, such as voting, volunteering, participating in group activities, and community gardening.

Civic participation is an umbrella term that refers to areas for citizens to engage in and impact government policy, such as voting, volunteering, or being politically active. There can be many barriers to civic participation. Some include education, poverty, legal barriers, lack of role models, social isolation, personal factors, and stigma and discrimination (Khasnabis 2010).

Key Points and Resources

Importance and barrier to civic participation

• All US citizens do not have equal access to opportunities for civic participation and to influence healthcare policy in their county or state • Civic participation such as volunteering has been shown to improve psychological health • Lack of education is a barrier to civic participation • Legal status (if convicted of a felony, if serving time for a crime, not a US citizen, mental disabilities) can prevent some people from voting • Poverty is a barrier to civic participation • Involvement in government policy is imperative in improving equal and equitable healthcare for everyone

What is Framer?

Resources to address civic participation

6 strategies to promote civic participation in disadvantaged communities

Hospitals can increase civic participation

Protection and promotion of civic space

Citizen Participation and Equitable Engagement Toolkit

How to increase civic engagement

Importance and barrier to civic participation

• All US citizens do not have equal access to opportunities for civic participation and to influence healthcare policy in their county or state • Civic participation such as volunteering has been shown to improve psychological health • Lack of education is a barrier to civic participation • Legal status (if convicted of a felony, if serving time for a crime, not a US citizen, mental disabilities) can prevent some people from voting • Poverty is a barrier to civic participation • Involvement in government policy is imperative in improving equal and equitable healthcare for everyone

What is Framer?

Resources to address civic participation

6 strategies to promote civic participation in disadvantaged communities

Hospitals can increase civic participation

Protection and promotion of civic space

Citizen Participation and Equitable Engagement Toolkit

How to increase civic engagement

Importance and barrier to civic participation

• All US citizens do not have equal access to opportunities for civic participation and to influence healthcare policy in their county or state • Civic participation such as volunteering has been shown to improve psychological health • Lack of education is a barrier to civic participation • Legal status (if convicted of a felony, if serving time for a crime, not a US citizen, mental disabilities) can prevent some people from voting • Poverty is a barrier to civic participation • Involvement in government policy is imperative in improving equal and equitable healthcare for everyone

What is Framer?

Resources to address civic participation

6 strategies to promote civic participation in disadvantaged communities

Hospitals can increase civic participation

Protection and promotion of civic space

Citizen Participation and Equitable Engagement Toolkit

How to increase civic engagement

References

Civic Participation. Civic Participation - Healthy People 2030. (August 2020). Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/civic-participation#:~:text=Studies%20show%20that%20volunteers%20enjoy,and%20more%20positive%20emotional%20health.&text=Volunteering%20can%20increase%20social%20resources,of%20anxiety%20and%20depressive%20symptoms.

Khasnabis C, Heinicke Motsch K, Achu K, et al., editors. Community-Based Rehabilitation: CBR Guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010. Political participation. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310967/

Salinsky, E. (2023, February 10). Civic engagement is a social determinant of health. Grantmakers In Health. https://www.gih.org/publication/civic-engagement-is-a-social-determinant-of-health/

Who can and cannot vote. USAGov. (2023, November 1). https://www.usa.gov/who-can-vote.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CIVIC PARTICIPATION

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