Social drivers of health (SDoH), also known as social determinants of health, are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, including the health system. Examples of social drivers include access to healthcare services, transportation options, and availability of resources to meet daily needs (e.g., safe housing and local food markets).
Determinants suggest nothing can be done to change our health fate. By shifting from determinants to social drivers of health, we can reframe the conversation about health. Social factors do not force health to be fated or destined, but instead are something people and communities can overcome or change1. This term is commonly used in public health settings. Examples of social drivers include:
- Availability of resources to meet daily needs (e.g., safe housing and local food markets)
- Access to educational, economic, and job opportunities
- Access to health care services
- Quality of education and job training
- Availability of community-based resources in support of community living and opportunities for recreational and leisure-time activities
- Transportation options
- Public safety
- Social support
- Social norms and attitudes
- Exposure to crime, violence, and social disorder
- Socioeconomic conditions (e.g., concentrated poverty and the stressful conditions that accompany it)
- Language/literacy
- Access to mass media and emerging technologies (e.g., cell phones, the internet, and social media)
- Culture
1 Elevance Health, Social Drivers vs Social Determinants of Health: Unstacking the Deck. Retrieved on November 16, 2023 from ElevanceHealth.com
