Social determinants of health inequalities

Abstract

According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), health should be considered in multidimensional terms, also taking into account the mental and social aspects of human functioning. With regard to the population, increasing importance is being put on the social determinants of one’s health status, because these determinants generate social and health inequalities. The latter may be defined as “potentially avoidable health differences between groups of people who are more or less socially privileged”. They occur worldwide and have a universal and persistent character. Health inequalities have recently become a major public health problem. To understand them, it is necessary to analyze the social determinants of health, as well as the perspective going beyond the so-called standard risk factors (i.e., cause of causes). Poverty, level of education, the type of work performed, and the social and political situation of state may shape the health profile of individual populations. The impact of these factors will be palpable in epidemiological factors such as mortality, including infant mortality, and life expectancy. The article discusses the concept of health inequalities. Particular attention has been paid to selected social determinants of health, such as poverty, level of education and work.