Social determinants of health (or SDOH) account for a significant portion of individual health outcomes and contribute significantly to health disparities. While the term "social determinants of health," is still widely used, many have shifted more recently to "social drivers of health," acknowledging that outcomes are not predetermined or fixed (see Q&A with Dr. Robert Winn).
SDOH can include economic factors, physical environments such as neighborhoods, built environment, and climate, education and access to education, food security, community, safety, and social contexts, and factors related to health care systems and access to health care. The diagrams below show examples of SDOH and model how they can impact health outcomes.
Drake, P., & Rudowitz, R. (2022, April 21). Tracking social determinants of health during the COVID-19 pandemic. KFF. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/tracking-social-determinants-of-health-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Ndugga, N., Hill, L., Pillai, D., & Artiga, S. (2024, July 29). Race, inequality, and health: What factors drive racial and ethnic health disparities? KFF. https://www.kff.org/health-policy-101-race-inequality-and-health/?entry=table-of-contents-what-factors-drive-racial-and-ethnic-health-disparities
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023, January 12). Social determinants of health [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_IoBt7Nicw&t=26s
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