SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Social Determinants Of Health



Social Determinants of Health

Introduction

It has become commonplace among population health researchers to acknowledge that the health of individuals and populations is strongly influenced by various social determinants of health (1, 2). It is less common for health researchers to acknowledge that the quality of these social determinants of health are influenced by the organization of societies and how these societies distribute material resources among its members. And it is even less common for them to consider the political, economic, and social forces that shape the organizational and distributional practices of societies . The belief that population health is influenced by non-medical and non-behavioural factors characteristics is shared -- to varying degrees -- by those working within the epidemiological, sociological, political economy and human rights approaches to understanding and promoting health. The concept of the social determinants of health has become the current shorthand for describing health approaches that move beyond biomedical and behavioural risk factor approaches to health promotion . The recent publication of two texts focused on social determinants of health and the establishment of a World Health Organization commission on the social determinants of health (12) should not disguise the fact that the idea that societal factors are important determinants of health is not new. During the 19th century Rudolph Virchow and Frederich Engels outlined the political, economic, and social forces that threaten health and well-being and spawn disease and early death. And sociologists and social epidemiologists working in the historical materialist tradition have long attempted to illuminate how various modes of production - especially in capitalist societies -- influence the distribution of economic, social and political resources among the population, thereby influencing health . Despite this longstanding tradition, these analyses concerning the structural determinants of health - and their most recent expressions - remain outside the mainstream of current determinants of health discourse among policymakers and health researchers in North America and other nations such as Australia and New Zealand.

Enfield Borough London UK

The UK is in a period of rapid flux, with a new coalition government at a national level, and changes to populations and communities. Enfield has a new administration that is clear about what it wants to achieve for the Borough and our residents, through the embodiment of three principles:

Fairness for All

Growth and Sustainability

Strong Communities

This report aims to provide some information about the journey that the Borough has taken over the last decade in order to help members and officers achieve the Council's aims. It also provides a timely analysis ahead of the publication of the 2011 Census data next year, and before the government cuts to public spending commence from April 2011/

Introducing Enfield

The London Borough of Enfield was created in 1965 and comprises the former metropolitan boroughs of Enfield, Southgate and Edmonton.

The Borough covers 32 square miles and is characterised by its proximity to the thriving urban environment of the capital and suburban countryside.

Enfield is one of the greenest boroughs in London - approximately 40% of the Borough's ...