Social Determinants of Health, Canadian Perspectives

Posted by on December 2, 2005

Social Determinants of Health, Canadian Perspectives

By Dennis Raphael, forward by Hon. Roy J. Romanow. This volume convincingly makes the argument that reducing social inequities in Canadian society is essential to Canadians’ health. Genetics and traditional risk factors such as activity, diet and tobacco use are not the best predictors of whether we stay healthy or become ill. What, then, are the predictors of adult-onset diabetes, heart attacks or stroke, and many other diseases? Social determinants provide the answer. Social determinants of health are the socio-economic conditions that influence the health of individuals, communities and jurisdictions as a whole. These determinants also establish the extent to which a person possesses the physical, social and personal resources to identify and achieve personal aspirations, satisfy needs and cope with the environment. This perspective is the key to understanding patterns of health and illness in Canada today.

To order, visit http://www.cspi.org/books/s/socialdeter.htm