Dr. Lori Spruance highlights the relationship between agency and access, in regards to making healthy choices and coming unto Jesus Christ.
Public health’s focus on populations does not diminish individual choice. In fact, Dr. Lori Spruance finds social interventions a necessary vehicle for agency, or one’s ability to choose.
Dr. Spruance’s time in New Orleans while earning her Ph.D. opened her eyes to social disparities. Her colleagues researched grocery store proximity in New Orleans and found that many communities had access to only corner stores. These corner stores were stocked often with alcohol, candy, and chips and seldom with fresh fruits and vegetables. Members of many impoverished areas had to commute 15 miles across town simply to shop at a grocery store.
While pointing fingers is easy, identifying barriers can help public health professionals understand why the healthy choice might be difficult. Dr. Spruance points out that many communities know what is best; they simply do not have access to necessary resources.
Addressing disparities may ultimately provide community members with a newfound sense of agency. As Dr. Spruance mentions, “We can’t have individual choice if there’s not an environment that supports individual choice.”
The gospel of Jesus Christ also informs Dr. Spruance’s thinking of the world. She supplements this idea of agency by drawing a parallel between Jesus Christ’s gospel and healthy living.
“You can’t choose the gospel of Jesus Christ if you’ve never heard about it,” Dr. Spruance argues. “You can’t choose the healthy item if you don’t have access to it.”
Like coming unto Christ, healthy choices cannot be made if an individual does not even have the opportunity to choose. Dr. Spruance suggests that public health professionals sincerely listen to community members in order to find the best solution. Social interventions can even help the playing field, striving to make the default choice the healthy one.
For more information on social disparities and nutrition, listen to Dr. Spruance’s feature on the Y Health podcast, or study her research here.
