Social Determinants of Health: Know What Affects Health

Spotlight

HI-5 (Health Impact in 5 years) has approaches to improve the places where we live, learn, work and play. HI-5 can help achieve health outcomes in your community in 5 years or less, providing good economic value for the investment.

More

Conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes.¹ These conditions are known as social determinants of health (SDOH).

We know that poverty limits access to healthy foods and safe neighborhoods and that more education is a predictor of better health.^2,3,4 We also know that differences in health are striking in communities with poor SDOH such as unstable housing, low income, unsafe neighborhoods, or substandard education.^5,6 By applying what we know about SDOH, we can not only improve individual and population health but also advance health equity.^7,8Healthy People 2020 highlights the importance of addressing SDOH by including “create social and physical environments that promote good health for all” as one of the four overarching goals for the decade. (See FAQs for reference materials .)

This website provides CDC resources for SDOH data, tools for action, programs, and policy. They may be used by people in public health, community organizations, and health care systems to assess SDOH and improve community well-being.

Also see the CDC National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention’s site on Social Determinants of Health.