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Determinants of Health
Identify and address the economic, social, environmental, and behavioral determinants that can lead to improved health outcomes.
This focus area is high priority because many disorders are caused by multiple determinants of health, only some of which are “biomedical factors.” Many of these important determinants of health—behavior, social, environmental, and economic—have not been adequately addressed as health issues. And, many of them have an especially important impact on communities of color.
Factors that are included in each of these determinants of health are: Behavioral - nutrition, smoking, physical activity, substance abuse, risk-taking behaviors, and sexual behaviors; Social - families, peers, communities, social norms, and racism; Environmental - homes, workplaces, air quality, water quality, sewage disposal, and noise; Economic - income, poverty, employment, unemployment, and savings and other assets.
This focus area is high priority because many disorders are caused by multiple determinants of health, only some of which are “biomedical factors.” Many of these important determinants of health—behavior, social, environmental, and economic—have not been adequately addressed as health issues. And, many of them have an especially important impact on communities of color.
Factors that are included in each of these determinants of health are: Behavioral - nutrition, smoking, physical activity, substance abuse, risk-taking behaviors, and sexual behaviors; Social - families, peers, communities, social norms, and racism; Environmental - homes, workplaces, air quality, water quality, sewage disposal, and noise; Economic - income, poverty, employment, unemployment, and savings and other assets.