There is an increasing recognition that many modern health problems are multi-causal resulting from a complex interaction of social, economic, environmental, behavioural, and genetic determinants over the course of a person’s life. These determinants can be broadly divided into 'upstream' determinants (education, employment, income, living and working conditions), 'midstream' (health behaviours and psychosocial factors) and 'downstream' (physiological and biological factors). [1]
These determinants can influence an individual’s and the populations' behaviour and subsequent health in positive and negative ways. The earlier a person is exposed to positive or negative conditions in which they live, work and play strongly impacts on a person's quality of life and their length of life. [21] [22] A safe environment, adequate income, meaningful roles in society, secure housing, higher levels of education and social support within communities are all associated with better health and well being.
People's social circumstances affect their health throughout their life. Most diseases and injuries are more common in groups which are socially disadvantaged and the social gradient has been widening over the past few decades.
Given that no one agency can address the social determinants of health alone, there is a need for shared responsibility based on partnerships to address structural factors (such as education, housing, transport) and the community context (such as social cohesion, and the capacity of individuals and communities to adopt positive health practices). The social determinants of health necessitate the implementation of a broad range of educational, motivational, organisational, economic, legislative, political and technological strategies within an ecological approach.
Queensland Health has produced a diagrammatical framework for addressing the social determinants of health and well-being.
A range of Fact Sheets that use a Social Determinants approach have been developed. You might find it useful to read a couple of these Fact Sheets to see how social determinants can help give a new perspective to any existing problems, including child injury issues.
Available Fact Sheets include:
Health Determinants Queensland 2004
Health Determinants Queensland 2004 has been produced by Queensland Health; it provides a summary of the most important factors influencing the health status of Queenslanders, the areas of potential gain and highlights the key responses needed to address them. This report identifies major health indicators including behavioural, social, economic, and environmental determinants of health and their recent trends in Queensland. The report provides valuable guidance to government, non-government agencies, and the community for improving health and reducing the burden of disease now and into the future.
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