The Solid Facts: Social Determinants of Health

By Michael G. Marmot

Book Overview

Social Determinants of Health provides an authoritative overview of the social and economic factors which are now known to be the most powerful determinants of population health in modern societies. Written by acknowledged experts in each field, it proves accessible summaries of the scientific justification for isolating different aspects of social and economic life as the primary determinants of a population's health. Recognition of the power of socioeconomic factors as determinants of health came initially from research on health inequalities. This has led to a view of health as not simply about individual behaviour or exposure to risk, but how the socially and economically structured way of life of a population shapes its health. Thus exercise and accidents are as much about a society's transport system as about individual decisions; and the nation's diet involves agriculture, food manufacture, retailing, and personal incomes as much as individual choice. But a major new element in the picture we have developed is the importance of the social, or psycho-social, environment to health. For example, health in the workplace for most employees -- certainly office workers -- is less a matter of exposure to physical health hazards as of the social environment, of how supportive it is, whether people have control over their work, whether their jobs are secure. A similar picture emerges in other areas ranging from the health importance of the emotional environment in early childhood to the need for more socially cohesive communities. In 1998 the European Office of the World Health Organization launched a campaign to encourage the public and policy makers to take action on the social determinants of health. Members of the International Centre for Health and Society, who advised the WHO Centre for Urban Health and produced the text for the campaign booklet, have now produced Social Determinants of Health to provide the scientific evidence behind the recommendations covering ten key areas of public policy. Social Determinants of Health should be read by all those interested in the well being of modern societies. It is a must for public health professionals, for health promotion specialists, and for people working in the many fields of public policy which we now know make such an important contribution to health.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192630695
• ISBN13: 9780192630698
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 291 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.6" x 0.7" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

A ground-breaking, authoritative work

Marmot and Wilkinson do a thorough, comprehensive job of exploring the emerging field of how social inequalities affect the health of populations. This is a great resource both for public health professionals and for those who are looking for an accessible way to be introduced to the topic. The second chapter alone - a detailed description of the physiological mechanisms by which psychosocial stress is translated to worse health outcomes - is worth the price. Marmot and Wilkinson's work has significance far beyond the realm of public health, and should be read by policy-makers of all ideological stripes.