What makes us healthy? An introduction to the social determinants of health.

What causes heart disease? To some, the clear answer would be blocked arteries. But what causes those arteries to become blocked? Perhaps it’s the unhealthy food and drink people consume, their
lack of exercise, or their stress levels. And what, in turn, makes them feel stressed, shapes their opportunities to be active and determines their choices about what they eat and drink?

The answers lie in the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work and age: the social determinants of health. These can enable individuals and societies to flourish, or not. These are the causes of the causes.

The Health Foundation has written this guide as a brief introduction to the social determinants of health. It explains how a person’s opportunity for health is influenced by factors outside the health
and social care system. It also shows that many people don’t have the same opportunities to be
as healthy as others.