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Health Determinants

The health approach has a global objective which is to maintain and enhance the health and the well-being of populations in general and to reduce the inequalities in regards to health among the different social, economic and physical factors – either separately or in interaction – on collective health and well-being.

The main known factors and conditions to act on population health (health determinants) consist of the following:

Social situation and income
This is the most important health determinant. The health state is getting better as the income is getting higher and that we are getting high in the social rank. A high income helps certain life conditions (salubrious apartment, eating well capacity).

The social network
The family, friends and community support is associated with a better health. The warm support relationship sometimes neutralize the negative effect that leads to nicotine addiction, lack of activity, obesity, hypertension and other risk factors.

Instruction level
Health state is getting better with schooling level. Education increases the chance to have an income and an employment security. It also gives people the feeling that they are in control of their lives – it is a key factor influencing health.

Employment and working conditions
Unemployment, under employment and stressing work are associated to health degradation. Moreover, people that are in control of their working conditions and that the position has less stressing demands are in better shape.

Social environments
The entire values and standards in force in a society influence individual and collective health and well-being. Social stability – that allows diversity, security, good relationship and collective solidarity – can reduce the numerous risks for the health.

Physical environments
The physical factors of the natural environment (ex. air and water quality) influence significantly the health. Also, the natural environment factors created by mankind, such as housing, working environment security, community installations and road network also exert a great influence on health.

Life habits and competence of personal adaptation
The social environments help to take healthy choices and life habits, as well as the knowledge, the behaviours and the adaptation capacities to live a healthy life influence a lot the health.

Healthy development during childhood
The experience lived before birth and during early childhood have a very important long term effect on the health, well-being, the adaptation capacity and the competence. For instance, we know that a weak weight at birth is associated to upcoming social and health problems.

Culture
Cultural and membership to an ethnical group illustrate the link between physical, mental, spiritual, social and economic well-being. For instance, the knowledge of people on their health, their life habits, their diet and other also their idea on family affect their health, their interaction with the health care system and other reactions. Larger political, economic and geographic factors can also be considered.

Health care services
Health care services, especially the ones that are committed to maintain and promote health, disease prevention and bring back health, contribute to the health condition of the population.

Gender
The diverse roles, personality traits, attitudes, behaviours, values, influences which are different for men and women in society, have a big effect on health. Both genders have their health problems that are specific to them or might be affected differently for the same problems.

Genetic and biological heritage
The biologic and organic base composition of the human organism is fundamentally determined by health. The genetic heritage assures the natural predisposition to the individual reactions to diseases or particular health problems.