Norman Creel, Sophie Ehrhardt, and the legacy of anthropology during the Nazi period.

Growing evidence suggests that unmet health-related social needs (HRSNs) during infancy may increase the risk for childhood obesity. Addressing these risk factors is crucial, as obesity prevalence in the United States rises, disproportionately impacting children in racial and ethnic minorities and low-income households. HRSNs are the non-medical factors that patients describe as affecting their health, and, among other factors, include food insecurity and housing instability. Addressing social drivers of health is a key recommendation and accreditation requirement for healthcare systems. In 2018, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) implemented a novel model to address social drivers of health called the Accountable Health Communities (AHC). The AHC integrated systematic screening for HRSNs, closed-loop community service referrals, and navigation services into clinical care. Infancy is a critical period in development of taste preferences, feeding patterns, and growth trajectories, which have been linked to upstream social factors such as food insecurity. Addressing social needs during infancy may mitigate obesity risk factors, with evidence suggesting that addressing HRSNs can improve dietary quality and weight outcomes for children. However, most research on real-world clinical integration of social care has largely focused on adults, broad pediatric populations, or excluded families with infants under two years of age. We sought to examine parental and provider perceptions of the implementation of the AHC among infants under age two years and its perceived impact on established obesity risk factors of infant nutrition, feeding, and growth. In 2018, Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian (Columbia) implemented a social care model based on the AHC in pediatric primary care across four Ambulatory Care Network sites. Columbia is located in northern NYC, where 66% of residents identify as Hispanic/Latino. Northern NYC’s median household income of $62,190 is about 20% lower than the citywide median, and 29.4% of households spend over 50% of their household income on rent, a recognized indicator of financial strain. Within northern NYC, food insecurity rates exceed both national and NYC averages.