Social determinants of health are the social conditions in which people live which determine their health. Illnesses are generally related to social, economic, political, and environmental circumstances. Social determinants of health have been recognized by several health organizations such as the Public Health Agency of Canada and the World Health Organization to greatly influence collective and personal well-being. A list of determinants of health compiled by the Public Health Agency of Canada is below: Illness can be a synonym for disease or it can be a persons perception of having poor health. ... // Latin root meaning The term social is derived from the Latin word socius, which as a noun means an associate, ally, companion, business partner or comrade and in the adjectival form socialis refers to a bond between people (such as marriage) or to their collective or connected existence. ... Economics (deriving from the Greek words οίκω [okos], house, and νέμω [nemo], rules hence household management) is the social science that studies the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants. ... Politics is the process and method of decision-making for groups of human beings. ... An environment is a complex of external factors that acts on a system and determines its course and form of existence. ... The Public Health Agency of Canada is an agency of the Department of Health within the government of Canada which is responsible for public health and, more specifically, emergency preparedness and response and infectious and chronic disease control and prevention. ... WHO emblem The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, acting as a coordinating authority on international public health, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. ... Person, in the classic sense, refers to a living human being. ...

1. Income and social status
2. Social support networks
3. Education and literacy
4. Employment/Working conditions
5. Social environments
6. Physical environments
7. Personal health practices and coping skills
8. Healthy child development
9. Biology and genetic endowment
10. Health services
11. Gender
12. Culture

The term social determinants of health grew out the search by researchers to identify the specific exposures by which members of different socio-economic groups come to experience varying degrees of health and illness. While it was well documented that individuals in various socio-economic groups experienced differing health outcomes, the specific factors and means by which these factors led to illness remained to be identified Overviews of the concept, recent findings, and an analysis of emerging issues are available. All these formulation share a concern with factors beyond those of biomedical and behavioural risk. The SDOH National Conference list (see Raphael, below) is unique in that it specifically focuses on the public policy environment (e.g., income and its distribution) rather than characteristics associated with individuals (e.g. income and social status). Income, generally defined, is the money that is received as a result of the normal business activities of an individual or a business. ... Social status is the standing, the honour or prestige attached to ones position in society. ... A social network is a social structure made of nodes which are generally individuals or organizations. ... World illiteracy rates by country The traditional definition of Literacy is the ability to read and write. ... Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... It has been suggested that Occupational_Safety_and_Health_Act be merged into this article or section. ... The social environment or social context is a group of identical or similar social positions and social roles. ... The Natural Environment comprises all living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth. ... Coping (architecture) consists of the capping or covering of a wall. ... A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... Biology is the branch of science dealing with the study of life. ... Genetics (from the Greek genno γεννώ= give birth) is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms. ... The shield and spear of the Roman god Mars are often used to represent the male sex. ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ...

 World Health Organization. (1986). Ottawa charter for health promotion. World Health 

Organization European Office. Available: http://www.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/ottawa_charter_hp.pdf

 Health Canada. (1998). Taking action on population health: A position paper for health 

promotion and programs branch staff. Ottawa: Health Canada. Available: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/pdf/tad_e.pdf

 Wilkinson, R., & Marmot, M. (2003). Social determinants of health: The solid facts. World 

Health Organization, European Office. Available: http://www.euro.who.int/document/e81384.pdf

 Raphael, D. (Ed.). (2004). Social determinants of health: Canadian perspectives. Toronto: 

Canadian Scholars’ Press: http://www.cspi.org/books/s/socialdeter.htm

See also

• Population health
• Population Health Forum

Population health is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population and to reduce health inequities among population groups. ... The Population Health Forum is a group based out of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, but composed of academics, citizens, students, and activists from around North America. ...

External links

• Public Health Agency of Canada: What determines health? - Key Determinants
• World Health Organization: Commission on Social Determinants of Health
• Population Health Forum website