Question

How do social determinants affect the health service provided?

Answer 1

Social determinants 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 the quality-of-life outcomes and risks. The various social determinants include:

Availability of resources to meet daily needs (e.g., safe housing and local food markets)

Access to educational, economic and job opportunities

Access to health care services

Quality of education and job training

Availability of community-based resources in support of community living and opportunities for recreational and leisure-time activities

Transportation options

Public safety

Social support

Social norms and attitudes (e.g., discrimination, racism, and distrust of government)

Exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder (e.g., the presence of trash and lack of cooperation in a community)

Socioeconomic conditions (e.g., concentrated poverty and the stressful conditions that accompany it)

Residential segregation

Language/Literacy

Access to mass media and emerging technologies (e.g., cell phones, the Internet, and social media)

Culture

Thus these determinants control our health outcomes as they rely on the above mentions factors.