What are social determinants of health?

• A. Social determinants are the conditions in which people live and work that shape health; example: housing quality.
• B. Genetic factors are the primary determinants of health.
• C. Only individual choices determine health outcomes.
• D. Medical care alone determines health status.

Answer: (A)

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, plus the broader forces and systems that shape daily life. These include housing quality, income, education, employment, neighborhood safety, access to nutritious foods, transportation, social support, and experiences of discrimination. These factors influence health by affecting exposure to risks, opportunities to adopt healthy behaviors, and access to resources like healthcare and healthy environments. They help explain why health outcomes vary across different communities.

Genetic factors, while important to individual health, are not the main determinants when we’re talking about social determinants, because those determinants focus on the environment and social context that shape health risks and opportunities. Saying health outcomes come only from individual choices overlooks how the surrounding conditions constrain or enable those choices. And health is not determined by medical care alone; access to care matters, but the social and economic environment often has a broader, more persistent impact on health outcomes. The example given—housing quality—as a concrete illustration, shows how living conditions directly influence health risks and well-being.