Premium
Social determinants of health: from observation to policy
Author(s) -
Marmot Michael
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2000.tb124011.x
Subject(s) - social determinants of health , political science , economics , economic growth , health care
Differences in the health of individuals reflect inherent features of the societies in which they live. The way a society organises itself and delivers wellbeing to its members are major determinants of health. Social, economic and political factors have an important influence on health and longevity. Social position and lifestyle only partially explain ill health. Psychosocial factors, such as a sense of isolation, deprivation or loss of control, are also important. Governments can reduce health inequalities by ensuring that all policies are assessed for their potential impact on the health of all sectors of society.