Canada: a land of missed opportunity for addressing the social determinants of health

The first 25 years of universal public health insurance in Canada saw major reductions in income-related health inequalities related to conditions most amenable to medical treatment. While equity issues related to health care coverage and access remain important, the social determinants of health (SDH) represent the next frontier for reducing health inequalities, a point reinforced by the work of the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health. In this regard, Canada's recent performance suggests a bleak prognosis. Canada's track record since the 1980s in five respects related to social determinants of health: (a) the overall redistributive impact of tax and transfer policies; (b) reduction of family and child poverty; (c) housing policy; (d) early childhood education and care; and (e) urban/metropolitan health policy have reduced Canada's capacity to reduce existing health inequalities. Reasons for this are explored and means of advancing this agenda are outlined.     

Barriers to addressing the societal determinants of health: public health units and poverty in Ontario, Canada

Despite Canada's reputation as a leader in health promotion and population health concepts, actual public health practice for the most part remains wedded to downstream strategies focussed on behaviour change. In Canada's largest province this has led to the implementation of a heart health promotion approach focussed on diet, activity and tobacco use. This is so despite increasing evidence that these approaches are generally ineffective, particularly for those at greatest risk. In addition, these strategies appear to divert public and governmental attention away from addressing the broader societal determinants of health. Examples of Ontario public health units that have begun to address societal determinants of health provide a counterbalance to the dominant paradigm that frames health as an individual responsibility. These new approaches focus attention upon the health-threatening effects of governments' regressive social and economic policies in a manner consistent with the best principles of health promotion.     

The importance of addressing social determinants of health at the local level: the case for social capital

Social determinants are gaining momentum in public health practice. Many proposed solutions for tackling social determinants are outside the scope of local public health professionals. This article reviews the literature to find possible moderating variables which may buffer the effects of the social determinants of health at the local level, and allow social determinants to be addressed within the purview of local health departments. The systematic approach employed for this article entailed searches of electronic academic databases (PubMed, EBSCO and Medline) and additional searches using Internet search engines and relevant websites for articles published between 1,975 and May 2010. The search revealed 2,554 articles, and 36 were determined appropriate for inclusion. The purpose of the search was to identify published articles relating to social determinants of health, social capital and effective approaches for addressing both at the level of the local health department. The search was then expanded to include unpublished material, to include the perspectives of local health departments. This process resulted in the inclusion of content from five sources. In this article, the case is made for focusing on social capital interventions to mitigate health problems associated with social determinants. Examples of successful interventions are provided to aid public health professionals in developing locale-specific solutions for addressing social determinants.     

‘Punching above their weight’: a qualitative examination of local governments’ organisational efficacy to improve the social determinants of health

Objective : The World Health Organization calls upon local government worldwide to play a greater role in improving public health by improving the social determinants of health. This research aimed to determine how local governments in Victoria, Australia, conceptualised their organisational efficacy to address public health with reference to their statutory obligations. Methods : Sixteen in‐depth interviews were conducted with Victorian local government health planners. Thematic analysis was used to determine the importance of state health priorities and the perceived organisational efficacy of local government to address health via social determinants. Results : While there were disparities between state and local priorities for health, local government believes it can make an important contribution to improving health through ‘upstream’ approaches. Conclusions : Victorian local government has strongly adopted the socio‐ecological model of health and is aware of the important role that its diverse policy and program areas play in creating healthy communities. The Victorian State Government’s priorities, which adopted a more ‘downstream’ approach, were less influential. Implications for public health : State governments’ priority settings should be responsive to local governments’ unique local knowledge of health priorities. There is value in legislating a social determinants role for local government, provided it is supported by state and national government policies that facilitate public health.     

Ideology,obesity and the social determinants of health: a critical analysis of the obesity and health relationship

Based on a critical review of the obesity and health literature we provide five models of how the hypothesized obesity and health relationship is conceptualized. We then apply these models to make sense of how recent Canadian public health reports and clinical practice guidelines conceptualize the issue of obesity, its causes and health effects, and appropriate responses. We show how conformity to dominant models of the obesity and health relationship by health sciences researchers, public health workers, and the media lead to activities that rather than promoting health, actually threaten it. These dominant models – and the activities derived from them – do so by diverting attention from the far more important issues of the quality and distribution of the social determinants of health. These approaches also stigmatize heavy individuals, doing little to promote their health. For these reasons, we call for an end to seeing obesity as a significant health issue.     

Message design strategies to raise public awareness of social determinants of health and population health disparities

Context: Raising public awareness of the importance of social determinants of health (SDH) and health disparities presents formidable communication challenges. Methods: This article reviews three message strategies that could be used to raise awareness of SDH and health disparities: message framing, narratives, and visual imagery. Findings: Although few studies have directly tested message strategies for raising awareness of SDH and health disparities, the accumulated evidence from other domains suggests that population health advocates should frame messages to acknowledge a role for individual decisions about behavior but emphasize SDH. These messages might use narratives to provide examples of individuals facing structural barriers (unsafe working conditions, neighborhood safety concerns, lack of civic opportunities) in efforts to avoid poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination, and other social determinants. Evocative visual images that invite generalizations, suggest causal interpretations, highlight contrasts, and create analogies could accompany these narratives. These narratives and images should not distract attention from SDH and population health disparities, activate negative stereotypes, or provoke counterproductive emotional responses directed at the source of the message. Conclusions: The field of communication science offers valuable insights into ways that population health advocates and researchers might develop better messages to shape public opinion and debate about the social conditions that shape the health and well‐being of populations. The time has arrived to begin thinking systematically about issues in communicating about SDH and health disparities. This article offers a broad framework for these efforts and concludes with an agenda for future research to refine message strategies to raise awareness of SDH and health disparities.     

Complex families,the social determinants of health and psychosocial interventions: Deconstruction of a day in the life of hospital social workers

The roles of hospital social workers are delineated in the literature; however, their daily interventions have only been described anecdotally. This study analyzes the daily work of social workers in a pediatric hospital through a survey completed which examined factors related to interventions utilized and time spent per case over a 1-day period. Length and types of interventions were associated with the social determinants of health, time since diagnosis, biopsychosocial issues, and perception of complexity. The study offers a snapshot of the personalized expertise, provided by social workers that addresses complex contextual and biopsychosocial concerns of patient and families     

Comparing social determinants of self-rated health across the United States and Canada

A large body of research shows that social determinants of health have significant impact on the health of Canadians and Americans. Yet, very few studies have directly compared the extent to which social factors are associated with health in the two countries, in large part due to the historical lack of comparable cross-national data. This study examines differences in the effect of a wide-range of social determinants on self-rated health across the two populations using data explicitly designed to facilitate comparative health research-Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health. The results show that: 1) sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors have substantial effects on health in each country, though the size of the effects tends to differ-gender, nativity, and race are stronger predictors of health among Americans while the effects of age and marital status on health are much larger in Canada; the income gradient in health is steeper in Canada whereas the education gradient is steeper in the U.S.; 2) Socioeconomic status (SES) mediates or links sociodemographic variables with health in both countries-the observed associations between gender, race, age, and marital status and health are considerably weakened after adjusting for SES; 3) psychosocial, behavioural risk and health care access factors are very strong determinants of health in each country, however being severely/morbidly obese, a smoker, or having low life satisfaction has a stronger negative effect on the health of Americans, while being physically inactive or having unmet health care needs has a stronger effect among Canadians; and 4) risk and health care access factors together play a relatively minor role in linking social structural factors to health. Overall, the findings demonstrate the importance of social determinants of health in both countries, and that some determinants matter more in one country relative to the other.     

An analysis of local government health policy against state priorities and a social determinants framework

Objective : Victorian local governments are required to develop Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plans that incorporate state‐level health planning priorities and address the social determinants of health. This paper describes a novel method for evaluating councils' performance against these requirements. Methods : Deductive content analysis was used to categorise all actions in 14 local government MPHWPs against Victorian state priorities as well as against social determinants of health policy areas. Results : More than 1,000 actions were identified. However, fewer than half directly addressed a state priority, with many actions addressing policy areas known to be broader determinants of health. In particular, there was a marked focus on leisure and culture, and on building social cohesion through changes to living and working conditions. Conclusions : Councils are working beyond state priorities and there was a clear emphasis on addressing the diverse upstream ‘causes of the causes’ of health, rather than health promotion behaviour change programs. Implications : The approach for data analysis and presentation provides a useful method for rapid appraisal of health and wellbeing actions relative to councils', and the State's, responsibility and efficacy in public health.     

Action on the social determinants of health: A historical perspective

Abstract

A renewed concern with social factors has emerged in global public health, spearheaded by the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health. The coming decade may see significant health gains for disadvantaged populations if policies tackle the social roots of health inequities. To improve chances of success, global action on social determinants must draw lessons from history. This article reviews milestones in public health action on social determinants over the past 50 years. The goal is to bring into sharper focus the persistent challenges faced by social determinants agendas, along with distinctive opportunities now emerging. The historical record highlights the vulnerability of health policy approaches incorporating social determinants to resistance from entrenched interests. The Commission on Social Determinants of Health can consolidate political support by building collaborative relationships with policymakers in partner countries. However, this strategy must be complemented by engaging civil society constituencies. Historically, successful action on social determinants has been spurred by organized civil society demand.     

我国老龄健康公平社会决定因素分析及对策

我国人口健康水平不断提升的同时老龄健康公平差距客观存在,而影响健康公平的社会决定因素又处于动态变化之中。本文依据WHO健康社会决定因素理论框架对我国老龄健康公平社会决定因素进行分析,提出了除以往影响老龄健康公平的共识性社会决定因素外,还包括宏观层面的老龄健康政策、老龄人口流动、科技发展和死亡认知等,个体层面的退休后工作及社会参与等,日常生活环境层面卫生服务体系的老龄友善程度,如老年卫生资源配置公平性、老年人对相关服务的可获得性及利用公平以及重大公共卫生事件对老龄健康公平的冲击等;并针对性提出要进一步加强对老龄健康公平的认识与评估,多措并举、多种公平兼顾缩小老龄健康公平差距,助力实现健康老龄化。     

A public health model of the social determinants of health

Summary As we move forward in the new century, epidemiologists and public health practitioners are faced with the challenge of reviewing the current direction of epidemiology and its links with public health. While the history of epidemiology has been a successful and productive one, there is a danger that modern epidemiology is becoming too narrow in its scope, concerned primarily with the analysis of risk factors in individuals, while ignoring sociological and ecological perspectives of health. We argue that a theoretical framework to guide the practice of epidemiology is needed which encompasses a role for social determinants of health while simultaneously also acknowledging the importance of behaviour and biology, and the inter-connectedness of all these factors. This paper presents a public health model of social determinants of health, which provides a framework for testing the causal pathways linking social determinant variables with health care system attributes, disease inducing behaviours and health outcomes. This approach provides an improved opportunity to identify and evaluate evidence-based public health interventions, and facilitates stronger links between modern epidemiology and public health practice.     

Perceptions and experiences of environmental health risks among new mothers: a qualitative study in Ontario,Canada

There is a growing awareness and concern in contemporary societies about potential health impacts of environmental contaminants on children. Mothers are traditionally more involved than other family members in managing family health and household decisions and thus targeted by public health campaigns to minimise risks. However little is known about how new mothers perceive and experience environmental health risks to their children. In 2010, we undertook a parallel case study using qualitative, in-depth interviews with new mothers and focus groups with public health key informants in two Public Health Units in Ontario Province, Canada. We found that the concern about environmental hazards among participants ranged from having no concerns to actively incorporating prevention into daily life. Overall, there was a common perception among participants that many risks, particularly in the indoor environment, were controllable and therefore of little concern. But environmental risks that originate outside the home were viewed as less controllable and more threatening. In response to such threats, mothers invoked coping strategies such as relying on the capacity of children's bodies to adapt. Regardless of the strategies adopted, actions (or inactions) were contingent upon active information seeking. We also found an optimistic bias in which new mothers reported that other children were at greater risk despite similar environmental circumstances. The findings suggest that risk communication experts must attend to the social and environmental contexts of risk and coping when designing strategies around risk reducing behaviours.     

Challenges and opportunities in addressing social determinants of child health in Cambodia: perspectives and experience of frontline providers in two health districts

ObjectivesOther forces related to socio-economic and cultural factors, besides biomedical and behavioural fields, also influence health but receive little attention in health research. This study aims to illuminate social determinants of health and to identify challenges and opportunities in addressing social determinants of child health (SDCH) in rural Cambodia.MethodsThis is a qualitative study based on interviews of frontline primary health care providers, health officials, local authorities and community volunteers in two health districts in Cambodia. The data were supplemented by secondary data on different aspects of the districts and Cambodia.ResultsPoverty, lack of basic commodities and adverse social conditions remained problems for population health. While access to health services was considered adequate, households and communities had several major risk exposures. Challenges in addressing SDCH were the high prevalence of social and household adverse conditions, and the lack of training of providers, of information about social services, of effective coordination and of trust in public services. Opportunities were present, including social services being existent albeit poor functioning, the traditional practice of social inquiry, existing frontline providers being open to further information and training, existing subnational coordination bodies at district and provincial levels, and use of evidence in planning and resource allocation.ConclusionAddressing SDCH requires broad and coordinated efforts of stakeholders from multiple sectors. Among the prerequisites are to leverage the existing structures and mechanisms, training primary health care providers and providing them with adequate information about local resources and available supports. Improving social care services and infrastructures requires strong coordination, planning and adequate resource allocation.     

The social vulnerability metric (SVM) as a new tool for public health

Objective

To derive and validate a new ecological measure of the social determinants of health (SDoH), calculable at the zip code or county level.

Data Sources and Study Setting

The most recent releases of secondary, publicly available data were collected from national U.S. health agencies as well as state and city public health departments.

Study Design

The Social Vulnerability Metric (SVM) was constructed from U.S. zip-code level measures (2018) from survey data using multidimensional Item Response Theory and validated using outcomes including all-cause mortality (2016), COVID-19 vaccination (2021), and emergency department visits for asthma (2018). The SVM was also compared with the existing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to determine convergent validity and differential predictive validity.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

The data were collected directly from published files available to the public online from national U.S. health agencies as well as state and city public health departments.

Principal Findings

The correlation between SVM scores and national age-adjusted county all-cause mortality was r = 0.68. This correlation demonstrated the SVM's robust validity and outperformed the SVI with an almost four-fold increase in explained variance (46% vs. 12%). The SVM was also highly correlated (r ≥ 0.60) to zip-code level health outcomes for the state of California and city of Chicago.

Conclusions

The SVM offers a measurement tool improving upon the performance of existing SDoH composite measures and has broad applicability to public health that may help in directing future policies and interventions. The SVM provides a single measure of SDoH that better quantifies associations with health outcomes.     

Lost in translation: a genealogy of the "social capital" concept in public health

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine the genealogy of the social capital concept in public health, with attention to the epistemological concerns and academic practices that shaped the way in which this concept was translated into public health. DESIGN: A citation-network path analysis of the public health literature on social capital was used to generate a genealogy of the social capital concept in public health. The analysis identifies the intellectual sources, influential texts, and developments in the conceptualisation of social capital in public health. PARTICIPANTS: The population of 227 texts (articles, books, reports) was selected in two phases. Phase 1 texts were articles in the PubMed database with "social capital" in their title published before 2003 (n = 65). Phase 2 texts are those texts cited more than once by phase 1 articles (n = 165). MAIN RESULTS: The analysis shows how the scholarship of Robert Putnam has been absorbed into public health research, how three seminal texts appearing in 1996 and 1997 helped shape the communitarian form that the social capital concept has assumed in public health, and how both were influenced by the epistemological context of social epidemiology at the time. CONCLUSIONS: Originally viewed in public health research as an ecological level, psychosocial mechanism that might mediate the income inequality-health pathway, the dominance of the communitarian approach to social capital has given disproportionate attention to normative and associational properties of places. Network approaches to social capital were lost in this translation. Recovering them is key to a full translation and conceptualisation of social capital in public health.