Health Determinants

What factors determine the occurrence of disease, disability, or health?

    Contributory causes (immediate causes) and determinants (underlying factors) (causes of causes)

Contributory vs Determinants

    Contributory (proximal)

1. Smoking

2. Poor diet

3. Physical activity

4. Substance use

5. Immediate, direct influences on whether a person develops a disease

    Determinants (distal):

1. Income and education

2. Working and employment conditions

3. Access to healthcare

4. Social Support and Community Networks

5. Cultural Norms and Practices

6. Public Policy and Laws

7. Housing and Neighborhood Environment

8. Broader conditions that shape health risk

BIG GEMS:

1. B: Behavior

2. I: Infection

   1. Other conditions

3. G: Genetics

   1. Hemophilia, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell

4. G: Geography

   1. Place/location on a map (Continent, country, region

5. E: Environment

   1. Physical surroundings (soil, lead paint, dirty water, toxic air, infrastructure)

   2. Social environment as well (high crime area)

6. M: Medical Care

   1. Accessible/Utilized by an individual (lack of access, long waits, no health insurance)

7. S: Socioeconomic-cultural

   1. Family influence, peer influence, economic influence, religious influence

Social Determinants of Health:

The conditions in the environment where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

A significant portion of the root causes

Top Social Determinants:

1. Education access and quality

2. Economic stability

3. Healthcare access and quality

4. Economic Stability

5. Social and Community Context

6. Neighborhood and Built Environment

7. Public health works to improve all these conditions

Equality - Everyone gets the same resources for success

Equity - Everyone gets the necessary/required sources for success

Justice - The barrier that creates need for resources is eliminated