The determinants of health include: the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and. the person's individual characteristics and behaviours.Addressing social determinants of health is important for improving health and reducing longstanding disparities in health and health care. There are a growing number of initiatives to address social determinants of health within and outside of the health care system. Many of the key drivers of health reside in our everyday living and working conditions—the circumstances in which we grow, live, work and age. These social determinants include factors such as income, education, employment and social support. Perhaps the most powerful social determinant of health is income. All of us have seen too many patients who could not afford their medications, a healthy diet, or a proper place to live—and how this affected their health status. Sex can be a factor that influences health, for example, men and women may show different symptomology for diseases and conditions and may respond differently to drugs and therapeutics due to physiological and hormonal differences as well as differences in body composition. In the definition of epidemiology, “determinants” generally includes the causes (including agents), risk factors (including exposure to sources), and modes of transmission, but does not include the resulting public health action.Doctors can use evidence and influence to have a positive impact on health inequalities. Doctors can use their position and their expertise to advocate for change to areas outside traditional medical areas, and to promote the generation of research, especially on the efficacy of prevention measures. The physical environment is an important determinant of health. At certain levels of exposure, contaminants in our air, water, food and soil can cause a variety of adverse health effects, including cancer, birth defects, respiratory illness and gastrointestinal ailments.

1. Determinants of Health
Islamic perspective
AQSA SHAHID

2. Nutrition
 Diet is at the root of many diseases
 . The prophet practiced and taught control of appetite.
 He never ate never ate to fill his belly
 . He taught that a believer eats in one belly but a non-believer feeds in 7 bellies
.

3. Environment
 The environment is the source of food and water that are necessities of life.
 Fertile soils give crops and food
 . The environment is also the source of water and oxygen that are essential for life.
 The elements of the weather like heat and cold have direct effects on health.
 The environment also harbors many pathogens that cause disease in humans. Some
habitats may not be healthy for some people for example the companions of the
prophet found the climate of Madina unhealthy, ‘adam mula’amat jaw al Madina li al
sihhat[
 The habitat also determines the character and behavior of people for example those
who live in desert areas adopt a nomadic life-style with a militaristic aggressive
tendency whereas those who live in forested regions are sedentary and are less
aggressive.

4. Life-style
The life style that people choose affects physical and mental health.
The Qur’an has described several life-styles that are injurious to
health such as taraf,
israaf, and
fasaad.

5. Psychological factors
 Personality and behavior are perhaps the most important determinants of health.
 The Qur’an has described several negative personality types and behaviors that are related
to ill health mental or physical.
 What starts as a psychological illness soon turns into a physical sickness for
example envy could lead to murder.

6.  Humans have been described as
 O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with
information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become,
over what you have done, regretful. (Quran 49:6)
 It is enough lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears. (Narrated by
Muslim)

7. 2- Mockery
 O you who have believed, let not a group of people mock [other] people;
perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women mock [other] women;
perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do
not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of
shamelessness after [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those
who are the wrongdoers. (Quran 49:11)

8. 3- Suspicion
 O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] suspicion. Indeed, some
suspicion is sin. (Quran 49:12)
 Many times we are full of suspicion. Allah says that some types of suspicion is
sinful. Obviously, if someone is hearing something or seeing something from
someone who is known for deception, then it is ok to be suspicious. But many
times we are suspicious of everyone.

9. Backbiting
 And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of
his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is
Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” (Quran 49:12)
 There is a hadith which says that backbiting someone is giving them a share of
our good deeds and taking a share of their sins! Who would want to do
something so nasty? Other hadith rank backbiting as one of the top 7 sins!

10. Feeling as if We Are Doing Islam a Service
 They consider it a favor to you that they have accepted Islam. Say, “Do not
consider your Islam a favor to me. Rather, Allah has conferred favor upon you
that He has guided you to the faith, if you should be truthful. (Quran 49:17)
 At times we feel as if we are doing Islam a service by being Muslim. Almost as if
Islam would be worse off if we did not exist. This is a very terrible character trait.
Islam is a gift of Allah to us, and He is free of any need. We need Islam, we need
Allah, we need His Mercy. His faith will suffice without us, and His faith will shine
without us.

11. Spiritual factors
There is a strong relation between iman, character, behavior and health.
Humans suffer from diseases of the heart, amraadh al qalb
.Iman cures diseases of the heart.
These diseases may manifest physically as psychosomatic illnesses or may manifest more
dramatically as injury to self or others.
Diseases of envy, hasad and meaness, lead directly to violence.
BY AQSA SHAHID