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1. Income and Social Status - Health status
improves with prosperity and social standing. High income determines living conditions such
as safe housing and ability to buy sufficient good food.
A number of studies show that limited options and poor coping skills for dealing
with stress increase vulnerability to a range of diseases through pathways that involve the immune
and hormonal systems.
2. Social Support Networks - Support from
families, friends and communities is associated with better health. The caring and respect
that occurs in social relationships, and the resulting sense of satisfaction and well-being, seem
to act as a buffer against health problems.
3. Education and Literacy - Education contributes
to health and prosperity by equipping people with knowledge and skills for problem solving,
and helps provide a sense of control and mastery over life circumstances.
It increases opportunities for job and income security, and job satisfaction. And it
improves people's ability to access and understand information to help keep them healthy.
4. Employment / Working Conditions - Unemployment, underemployment, stressful or
unsafe work are associated with poorer health.
People who have more control over their work circumstances and fewer stress related demands
of the job are healthier and often live longer than those in more stressful or riskier work and
activities.
5. Social Environments - The array of values and norms of a society influence in
varying ways the health and well being of individuals and populations.
Social stability, recognition of diversity, safety, good working elationships, and cohesive
communities provide a supportive society that reduces or avoids many potential risks to good
health.
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6. Physical Environments - Factors in our natural
environment (e.g. air, water quality) and human-built environment (e.g. housing, workplace
safety and road design) play a role in individual and public health.
7. Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills –
Learning how and what individuals can do to prevent
diseases and promote self-care, cope with challenges, develop selfreliance, and solve
problems will help people make choices that enhance health.
8. Healthy Child Development – Prenatal and early childhood experiences have a
positive impact on brain development, school readiness and health in later life.
At the same time, all of the other determinants of health affect the physical, social,
mental, emotional and spiritual development
of children and youth.
9. Biology and Genetic Endowment - In some circumstances inherited predispositions
appears to predispose certain individuals to particular diseases or
health problems.
10. Health Services – High quality, accessible health services and health
promotion contribute to public health.
11. Gender – Boys and girls and men and women get different kinds of disease and
conditions at different ages. They also tend to have different income levels and different kinds of
jobs, often a result of the way a society views and treats males and females.
12. Culture – People’s customs, traditions and the beliefs and values of their
family and community all affect their health. These factors influence what people think, feel,
do and believe in.
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Healthy Living
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Determinants of Health