What Are the Social Determinants of Health and Why Do They Matter?
Lisa getting accepted into NYU’s School of Global Public Health graduate program.
Health is often framed as an individual responsibility. Eat well, move more, get enough sleep. While personal choices matter they are only one piece of a much larger puzzle. After learning about the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) in graduate school, I felt like I had a completely new, more informed view of health. And why it’s easy for some people to maintain their health and challenging for others.
The World Health Organization defines SDoH as “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and people’s access to power, money and resources – have a powerful influence on health inequities. These are the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.”
In studying public health the distinct pattern is clear: the lower socioeconomic status, the higher the likelihood of poor health. When access is limited to education, social protection, quality housing, safe built environments, and job opportunities there’s a higher risk of illness and death. The research is conclusive that these social determinants can outweigh genetic factors, or even access to quality healthcare.
SDoH are grouped in 5 categories:
Economic Stability
Education Access and Quality
Health Care Access and Quality
Neighborhood and Built Environment
Social and Community Context
People who live in neighborhoods without safe places to exercise or affordable grocery stores face barriers that make healthy choices more difficult. These factors are structural, not personal failures. Recognizing this helps shift the focus from individuals and helps lessen the virtue signaling of achieving and maintaining idealized health.
Core Insight
Understanding social determinants shifts the conversation from blame to opportunity. Health inequities are often the result of systemic and structural factors rather than individual effort. Acknowledging this allows us to focus on practical ways to improve health within the constraints we face and gives us empathy for others.
Social determinants also highlight the importance of advocacy and community-level change. Supporting policies or programs that increase access to healthcare, affordable housing, or safe neighborhoods benefits everyone. It also reinforces the idea that health is not solely a personal responsibility but a shared social priority. If we want to improve health for everyone, we have to start with addressing the social determinants of health equity.
Reflection
Consider the systems that influence your health. Which elements make it easier to support your well-being? Which ones create barriers or stress? What are the systemic or structural factors that influence you? Answering these questions can also help meet you where you are with what you have. Doing so also provides an opportunity to dream up a better strategy and system. One that works for you and fits your life, instead of comparing yourself to anyone else.
It can feel overwhelming to begin creating systems that fit your life, but it doesn’t have to. I love helping people set up their personalized system. Work with me or check out my e-book for guidance to set up your meal prep system.
Let’s create something LOVELY.
💗Lisa
Lisa standing in her parent’s yard in her hometown of Huntington, Indiana.