Social Determinants of Health: Present Status, Unanswered Questions, and Future Directions

Social Determinants of Health: Present Status, Unanswered Questions, and Future Directions

Dennis Raphael, PhD - School of Health Policy and Management - York University, Toronto, Canada

Keywords: social determinants of health, health promotion, political economy perspective

Paper was presented at the conference Dahlgren and Whitehead and Beyond: The Social Determinants of Health in Research, Policy and Service Delivery, April 21, 2005, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
Correspondence to:Dr. Dennis Raphael 62 First Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4M 1W8
email: draphael@yorku.ca

Abstract:
This article reviews the current status of theory and research concerning the social determinants of health. It provides an overview of current conceptualizations and the evidence concerning the impact of various social determinants of health. The contributions of various disciplines – epidemiology, sociology, political economy, and the human rights perspectives -- to the field are acknowledged but profound gaps persist in our understanding of the forces that drive the quality of various social determinants of health and why research is too infrequently translated into action. Many of these gaps in knowledge concern the political, economic, and social forces that make implementation of public policy agendas focused on strengthening the social determinants of health problematic. The areas of inquiry needed to help translate research into action are identified. (full text available)