New Call to Action urges researchers, clinicians, and healthcare leaders to intentionally address the social determinants of health that shape individual outcomes
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has published a new Call to Action Statement urging the sports medicine community to intentionally incorporate social determinants of health (SDoH) into research, clinical care, and administrative and organizational decision-making to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities.
Co-published in Current Sports Medicine Reports and the Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, the statement emphasizes that health outcomes are influenced by far more than biology alone. Factors such as education, neighborhood conditions, transportation, economic stability, access to healthcare, and social support can all affect injury risk, recovery, participation in physical activity, and long-term health.
While awareness of social determinants of health has grown across healthcare, these factors are still too often considered only after research is completed or when barriers to care become apparent. Instead, the statement calls for SDoH to be intentionally incorporated into every stage of sports medicine—from study design and patient assessment to organizational strategy and policy development.
“Health, research, and advocacy do not start in the clinic, lab, or workplace; they begin where people live, learn, work, and play,” said Tamerah Hunt, PhD, AT, FACSM. “This ACSM Call to Action challenges the field to move beyond awareness and into intentional action, embedding SDoH into research, education, and decision making to drive meaningful, equitable improvements in sports medicine.”
The statement identifies several priorities for advancing the integration of SDoH into sports medicine, including:
- Incorporating social determinants of health into research design using standardized, measurable data.
- Considering patients’ social and environmental circumstances when developing treatment and rehabilitation plans.
- Educating current and future healthcare professionals on the impact of SDoH on health outcomes.
- Building stronger community partnerships to better understand local needs and improve access to care.
- Embedding health equity and SDoH into organizational strategic planning, advocacy and policy development.
The authors also introduce a practical three-pillar framework to guide implementation:
- Include SDoH in decision-making
- Learn about the community and population
- Investigate with intentionality and empathy
By adopting these principles, researchers, clinicians, and healthcare organizations can generate more applicable research, improve patient care and develop programs that better reflect the needs of the communities they serve.
The statement concludes that intentionally addressing social determinants of health is essential to advancing sports medicine, improving health equity, and ensuring scientific discoveries translate into meaningful improvements in patient care.
The full ACSM Call to Action Statement, “Intentional Examination of the Social Determinants of Health in Clinical Practice and Research,” is available in the Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine and Current Sports Medicine Reports.
About the American College of Sports Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world, with nearly 50,000 members and certified professionals in more than 100 countries. Together, ACSM is committed to the mission of educating and empowering professionals to advance the science and practice of health and human performance. ACSM advocates for legislation to help the government and health community make physical activity a priority. Learn more at www.acsm.org.
