Written by Zeynep Demirag | Edited by Zainab Bhatti and Nicole Xu

Health is the state of physical, social, and mental well being–not just the absence of disease and infirmity. It is also something we want to achieve not just individually but as a community. Health determinants include one’s age, gender, genetic makeup, and health behaviors. Health behavior examples include smoking, drinking, diet, and physical activity. Health is also largely influenced by social determinants, most commonly defined as the conditions in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect health outcomes.¹  

Social determinants of health are shaped by the distribution of money and power resources on international, national, and local levels. Consequently, social determinants can lead to health inequalities.² According to the framework developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), social determinants of health are defined within two broad groups: structural determinants and intermediary determinants. Structural determinants are the socioeconomic and political contexts that people live in. These contexts include governance, economics, social and public policies, as well as social and cultural values placed on health issues. These factors can lead to the unequal distribution of material and monetary resources which can shape a person’s socioeconomic position. Socioeconomic position is characterized by a multitude of factors including: education, occupation, income, gender, race or ethnicity, and social class. The structural determinant of health operates through a set of intermediary determinants that impact a person’s exposure, vulnerability and health outcomes. These include material circumstances, such as the quality of housing, financial means to buying healthy food, adequate clothing, and other requirements for healthy living. Intermediary determinants also include psychosocial factors such as stressful living circumstances, relationships, and amount of social support.² 

In addition to what is discussed above, health systems determine the type, quality, and accessibility of health care. Bridging the structural and intermediary determinants are social cohesion and social capital. The links between all these determinants are not always linear. They  can be complex and interdependent–interacting in many different ways to influence health. For example, poor income can limit opportunities for achieving good health, and conversely, poor health can limit opportunities for people to participate in the workforce. Moreover, these determinants can act differently across the course of a person’s life.²  Therefore, when thinking of a health issue, it is important to not only consider who an individual is and what they do, but to also consider the conditions in which they are born, grown, live, work, and age. If we understand and act on these factors we can build a healthier world for everyone.³ 

Bibiliography

 ¹Healthypeople.gov. 2020. Social Determinants Of Health | Healthy People 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

²Who.int. 2020. Social Determinants Of Health. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health> [Accessed 4 November 2020].

³Who.int. 2020. Constitution. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/constitution> [Accessed 4 November 2020].