According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, "determinants of health are the broad range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors that determine individual and population health." Twelve (12) key determinants of health have been identified.
To keep reading: PHAC (Public Health Agency of Canada) Social Determinants of HealthThe social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including the health system. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels, which are themselves influenced by policy choices. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries. To keep reading: World Health Organization Social Determinants of Health: The Solid FactsSocial determinants of health are the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work and age as well as the systems in place to deal with disease. To keep reading: The Solid Facts Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian FactsThe primary factors that shape the health of Canadians are not medical treatments or lifestyle choices but rather the living conditions they experience. These conditions have come to be known as the social determinants of health. This information – based on decades of research and hundreds of studies in Canada and elsewhere – is unfamiliar to most Canadians. To keep reading: The Canadian Facts
Social determinants of health (SDOH) have a major impact on people’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Examples of SDOH include:
SDOH also contribute to wide health disparities and inequities. For example, people who don't have access to grocery stores with healthy foods are less likely to have good nutrition. That raises their risk of health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity — and even lowers life expectancy relative to people who do have access to healthy foods. Just promoting healthy choices won't eliminate these and other health disparities. Instead, public health organizations and their partners in sectors like education, transportation, and housing need to take action to improve the conditions in people's environments. That's why Healthy People 2030 has an increased and overarching focus on SDOH.
One of Healthy People 2030’s 5 overarching goals is specifically related to SDOH: “Create social, physical, and economic environments that promote attaining the full potential for health and well-being for all.” In line with this goal, Healthy People 2030 features many objectives related to SDOH. These objectives highlight the importance of "upstream" factors — usually unrelated to health care delivery — in improving health and reducing health disparities. More than a dozen workgroups made up of subject matter experts with different backgrounds and areas of expertise developed these objectives. One of these groups, the Social Determinants of Health Workgroup, focuses solely on SDOH.
Social determinants of health affect nearly everyone in one way or another. Our literature summaries provide a snapshot of the latest research related to specific SDOH. Read SDOH literature summaries
Across the United States, people and organizations at the local, state, territorial, tribal, and national level are working hard to improve health and reduce health disparities by addressing SDOH. Check out what our partners are doing |