SearchA person’s health depends largely on their background. Some factors that affect health include genetics, behavior, environment and physical influences, access to health care and social ties. These are often referred to as social determinants of health. They are the economic and social conditions that affect one’s health. Understanding the social determinants of health is important because they are often a root cause of health inequities in communities.
Factors related to health outcomes include:
- Early childhood development
- The kind of work a person does
- Food security
- Individual income and household income
- Discrimination, racism and distrust of government
- Social support
- Language and literacy
- Incarceration
- Culture
- Access to mass media and technology
Social Determinants of Health in Certain Groups
Some of the communities disproportionately impacted by these factors include the LGBTQ community, seniors, the homeless, African Americans, Native Americans, veterans, and more. For these communities, social determinants of health, such as access to housing, food, financial resources, transportation and social connections play a key role in health outcomes and overall well-being. One example of the impact of social determinants of health is that of black LGBTQ people. As racially marginalized people, they already face biased policies and systems as they try to gain access to housing, jobs, places of leisure and health care as noted by National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center. This population ultimately faces additional challenges related to their sexual, gender and racial identities.
Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities
Social determinants of health and health disparities are very similar and go hand in hand. Health disparities will continue if social determinants of health are not addressed. Through these two health structures, we can recognize that differences in the overall health of individuals and communities are influenced by many factors outside of our health system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focusing on the social determinants of health is an important part of achieving health equity.