Social Factors And Social Determinants Of Health

As declared by Article 25 of the Universal Declaration¬ of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control” (The United Nations, 1948). Although such is stated in the Declaration, it does not guarantee that every person within the society is living adequately. There are so many factors that weigh in on how a person lives and the effects it has on their health. Social factors and social determinants of health are two key factors that are important to examine when determining whether one has adequate living or not pertaining to their health.
Social determinants of health are the

The environment we live in, the conditions that we come upon and the resources that we have available to us are all key concepts that affect having good or poor health. Social factors are characteristics that directly influence or affect lifestyles. Some important social factors include: ethnicity, family, physical status, economic status, education, political systems and etc. We simply cannot say that just because an individual lacks finances than he automatically has poor health. This individual may have a substantial support system, is situated in a good physical environment and has asses to health services. Consider all three factors that help this individual maintain his good health. It is important to consider that we cannot just focus on one social factor when we are discussing determinants of health as well as the different health inconsistences amongst individuals. It is important to look at this as a