Impacts of social determinants of health on work

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are classified as non-medical conditions that impact one’s health outcomes (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d.). Examples of SDOH are economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, and features of one’s neighborhood and built environment (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], n.d.c). According to the WHO, SDOH are shaped by one’s socioeconomic position and social environment, encompassing both structural and intermediary factors related to an individual’s engagement in work. Structural determinants of health are broad factors such as sociopolitical, socioeconomic, and sociocultural influences that impact one’s choices of, opportunities in, and attitudes towards work. Intermediary determinants of health act as a middle ground between the structural determinants of health and the individual, demonstrating the multifaceted relationship between an individual, their community, and broader society (see Table 1).