Redefining Social Determinants of Health: The Social Realities of Health

Abstract

The social determinants of health, often used interchangeably as wider determinants of health, can be understood as the conditions in which people are born, grow, play, live, work, and age. These determinants are significant drivers of illness and disease, and the experience of it within global public health.1 It has been nearly 15 years since the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its commission on the social determinants of health, led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot.2 Since then, a large body of research has emerged indicating that these determinants are often the underlying cause of health disparities and should be the focus in our approaches to addressing health inequalities and inequities. Unfortunately, the term has lost its meaning within systems of care because of misuse and lack of context, especially pertaining to the people they impact the most.