The Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities

A growing body of knowledge has revealed the profound impact of the social determinants of health—the social, political, and economic factors apart from health care that influence health. The question is no longer if social factors are important influences on health, but rather how social factors operate and how to address them most effectively, efficiently, and equitably.

Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities is a comprehensive resource for students and educators to understand the wide-ranging effects of social and political factors, including racism, on individual health. Drawing on Paula Braveman's seminal work in health equity, this volume explains how upstream drivers like law and policy are at the beginning of causal chains influencing health, and in particular how systemic issues like racism are core drivers of health outcomes. Each chapter examines how different social determinants of health—such as income, education, stress, work, and racism—are impacted by upstream social factors and how those factors influence health and health disparities through complex pathways. Chapters also include approaches for future practitioners and policymakers to most effectively activate health-promoting pathways while interrupting health-damaging ones.

Complete with chapter summaries and discussion questions, Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities is the definitive classroom guide to understanding and addressing social disparities in health, particularly racial and socioeconomic disparities.

Paula Braveman, MD, MPH, is Professor of Family and Community Medicine and Founding Director of the Center for Health Equity at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Braveman has studied and published extensively on health equity, health disparities, racism, and other social determinants of health. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with local, state, national, and international health agencies to see rigorous research translated into practice for greater health equity, including the World Health Organization and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2002, considered one of the highest honors for U.S. scientists working in the field of health.