Definition
The conditions under which people are born, live, work, and age are collectively known as the social determinants of health. These social factors include both economic and social conditions and are may be responsible for the health inequities both within and between countries.
Description
Research into the social factors underpinning health arose from the dual observations of health disparities both within and between countries. These disparities can be easily (although crudely) demonstrated by way of differences in life expectancy for different groups.
Between-country differences in adult mortality are growing rapidly. Whereas mortality rose in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe between 1970 and 2002, global mortality fell overall during the same period (World Health Organization, 2003). These differences in mortality rates are especially stark when comparing life expectancy by country. For example, while...
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References and Readings
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Kothe, E. (2013). Social Factors. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1179
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1179
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2
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