8.1 Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health shape our well-being in complex ways. From socioeconomic status to education, physical environment to social support, these factors intertwine to influence health outcomes and create disparities across populations.

Environmental elements like air quality and built spaces also play a crucial role in community health. When combined with individual identities and experiences, these factors create unique challenges, highlighting the need for comprehensive approaches to address health inequities.

Understanding Social Determinants of Health

Key social determinants of health

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• Socioeconomic status shapes health through income affecting access to resources, wealth providing financial security, occupation influencing exposure to hazards
• Education impacts health via literacy levels enabling health information comprehension, access to quality schooling fostering better health behaviors
• Physical environment affects health through housing conditions (mold, lead exposure), neighborhood safety (crime rates, violence), access to green spaces promoting physical activity
• Social support networks influence health outcomes through family structure providing emotional support, community connections offering resources and belonging
• Healthcare access and quality determine health through insurance coverage enabling preventive care, availability of medical facilities ensuring timely treatment
• Race and ethnicity impact health due to systemic inequalities, cultural factors, and discrimination in healthcare settings
• Gender and sexual orientation shape health experiences through unique health needs, societal biases, and access to specialized care
• Food security and nutrition affect health by determining access to nutritious foods, dietary habits, and risk of chronic diseases

Influences on health disparities

• Socioeconomic status impact manifests in limited access to preventive care leading to late-stage diagnoses, inability to afford medications resulting in poor disease management, elevated stress levels contributing to mental health issues
• Racial disparities persist due to discrimination in healthcare settings leading to suboptimal care, historical trauma causing mistrust in medical institutions, cultural barriers to care hindering effective communication
• Educational influences on health include health literacy enabling informed decision-making, higher education leading to better employment opportunities with health benefits
• Intersections of factors compound effects on marginalized groups, creating complex barriers to health equity and perpetuating generational impacts on health outcomes

Environmental and Intersectional Factors in Health

Environmental factors in population health

• Air and water quality impact health through pollution levels increasing respiratory diseases, industrial proximity exposing communities to hazardous chemicals
• Built environment shapes health via transportation systems affecting physical activity levels, walkability of neighborhoods promoting active lifestyles
• Climate change impacts health through extreme weather events causing injuries and displacement, changing disease patterns altering vector-borne illness distribution
• Occupational hazards affect worker health through workplace safety measures preventing accidents, exposure to toxins leading to long-term health complications
• Food environment influences population health via access to healthy food options determining dietary quality, food deserts limiting nutritious choices in certain areas

Intersectionality of social determinants

• Overlapping identities create unique health challenges through interactions of race, class, and gender, LGBTQ+ status combined with socioeconomic factors leading to compounded discrimination
• Cumulative disadvantage results in chronic stress from multiple sources (work, housing, discrimination), limited resources across various domains restricting coping mechanisms
• Policy implications highlight need for comprehensive approaches addressing multiple determinants simultaneously, focusing on root causes of inequities for sustainable change
• Life course perspective emphasizes early life experiences shaping adult health outcomes, intergenerational effects of social determinants perpetuating health disparities
• Resilience and protective factors include community strengths fostering social support, cultural assets promoting health-positive behaviors and coping strategies