Social Drivers of Health
What are social drivers of health?
Social drivers of health (SDoH) are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. They are sometimes called “social determinants of health.” We use social drivers of health because we believe these conditions can be changed, whereas social determinants seem predetermined or fixed.
SDoH consists of five (5) key domains:
- Economic Stability
- Education Access and Quality
- Health Care Access and Quality
- Neighborhood and Built Environment
- Social and Community Context
SDoH has a major impact on people’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Examples of SDoH include:
- Access to Safe and Healthy Homes
- Access to Nutritious and Affordable Foods
- Access to Safe and Affordable Transportation
- Access to Healthcare Services
- Income, Employment, and Poverty
- Environmental Health
- Health Literacy
- Education Attainment and Literacy
- Safe Neighborhoods