What makes us healthy?
An introduction to the social determinants of health
March 2018
Key points
- This guide explores how a person’s opportunity for health is influenced by factors outside the health and social care system.
- It also shows that many people don’t have the same opportunities to be as healthy as others.
- It contains suggestions for further reading and, with the help of short case studies, highlights how action can create improvements in the health of the whole population, for the lasting benefit of individuals, society and the economy.
- The guide has been written for anyone with an interest in people’s health and wellbeing, and will be especially useful to those new to the social determinants of health.
What causes heart disease? To some, the clear answer would be ‘blocked arteries’. So, what, in turn, causes those arteries to become blocked? Perhaps it’s the unhealthy food and drink people consume, their lack of exercise or their stress levels. And what, in turn makes them feel stressed, shapes their opportunities to be active and determines their choices about what they eat and drink?
The answers lie in the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age: the social determinants of health. These can enable individuals and societies to flourish, or not. These are the causes of the causes.
The Health Foundation has written this guide as a brief introduction to the social determinants of health.
Further reading
Blog
Addressing the social determinants of health
Natalie Lovell, one of the authors of What makes us healthy? An introduction to the social determinants of health, writes abo...
Infographic
What makes us healthy?
To understand what shapes our health and wellbeing, we need to look at the bigger picture. This infographic explores some of ...
Strategy
Healthy lives for people in the UK
The greatest influences on people's health and wellbeing come from outside health care, including factors such as education, ...
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Briefing
Reframing the conversation on the social determinants of health
Analysis of public understanding, expert opinion and the media narrative around health, based on research by the FrameWorks I...
News
Health Foundation selects five projects for new programme on taking action on the social determinants of health
The Health Foundation has selected five projects to take part in its new programme to improve people’s health by taking actio...
Improvement project
Creating ACE-informed places: promoting a whole-system approach to tackling adverse childhood experiences in local communities
This project is aiming to improve how effectively public services in England prevent and mitigate the negative impact of adve...
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