Determinants of Health

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Introduction

"Health care is an important determinant of health. Lifestyles are important determinants of health. But... it is factors in the social environment that determine access to health services and influence lifestyle choices in the first place." Director-General Dr Margaret Chan

Many factors combine together to affect the health of individuals and communities. Whether people are healthy or not, is determined by their circumstances and environment. To a large extent, factors such as where we live, the state of our environment, genetics, our income and education level, and our relationships with friends and family all have considerable impacts on health, whereas the more commonly considered factors such as access and use of health care services often have less of an impact.

The determinants of health include:

1. the social and economic environment,
2. the physical environment, and
3. the person’s individual characteristics and behaviours.

Social and economic environment determinants of health

The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries. Health inequities are unjust and avoidable. In order to reduce health inequities, there is a need to address the wider socioeconomic and structural factors that influence how people become sick, what risk factors they are exposed to, how they access services, and how they use those services.

Based on social and environmental conditions in which people live.  According the to World Health Organisation the 9 social determinants of health are:

1. Stress
2. Early life
3. Social exclusion
4. Work
5. Employment
6. Social support
7. Addiction 
8. Food 
9. Transport