Social determinants of health are the conditions where people are born, live, work, and age that impact health outcomes. These conditions include social, economic, and physical factors in environments like schools, workplaces, churches, and neighborhoods. Health is defined by the WHO as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of disease. There are correlations between better health outcomes like lifespan and higher income, literacy rates, and lower unemployment.

1. Social Determinants of
Health
BIEN ELI NILLOS, MD, MHSS

2. What are Social Determinants of Health?
• Social determinants of health are conditions in the environments in which
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.
Conditions (e.g., social, economic, and physical) in these various
environments and settings (e.g., school, church, workplace, and
neighborhood) have been referred to as “place.”1
1The Institute of Medicine. Disparities in Health Care: Methods for Studying the Effects of
Race, Ethnicity, and SES on Access, Use, and Quality of Health Care, 2002.

3. Definition of Health
• Health is a state of complete
physical, mental and social well
being and not merely the absence of
a disease or infirmity (World Health
Organization)
• The definition therefore goes beyond
biological.

4. • Correlation
between
health (as
measured by
lifespan)and
income

5. • Correlatio
n
between
health (as
measured
by
lifespan)a
nd
literacy of
all adults,
both male
and
female

6. • Correlatio
n
between
health (as
measured
by
lifespan)a
nd total
unemploy
ment