Join now

Social Determinants of Health: Issue Brief

This issue brief outlines how social determinants of health shape health outcomes and highlights the role nurses can play in advancing health equity through practice, advocacy and policy.

Download PDF

Key takeaways

  • A person’s health and well-being are shaped by where they live, work, and play, and the social determinants of health have a significant impact on health outcomes. 
  • Addressing inequities requires changing economic and social policies that cause these inequities in the first place. 
  • Given nurses’ holistic approach to health and well-being, they are well-positioned to advocate for ‘health in all policies’ and work collaboratively with healthcare professionals, communities, and government to address the unfair distribution of resources contributing to inequities.  

Background

While there are many contributors such as genetics, lifestyle choices and medical treatments that determine health outcomes, the primary contributors to health outcomes are the conditions in which individuals live, work and play. These conditions, also known as the social determinants of health, are heavily shaped by money, power and resources which are influenced by economic policies and systems, social policies, political systems and development agendas. 

People whose basic needs are met are able to pursue opportunities which enhance the quality of their lives, and these individuals typically enjoy better health. Those who face poverty and systemic barriers have fewer life choices, face increased physiological and psychological stress and consequently generally have poorer health. 

Evidence 

While is it well known that the social determinants of health greatly impact the health of British Columbians, priorities and interventions related to health continue to be heavily centred on screening for biomedical risk factors, changing one’s lifestyle and prescribing medications,​1​ without addressing the systemic issues that are the root cause of poor health outcomes. By addressing the social determinants of health, it becomes clear that health outcomes of individuals heavily depend on one’s physical, social, political and economic environment. Nurses play a significant role in addressing the social determinants of health at the micro, macro and meso levels. Further, nurses have the responsibility of advocating for and supporting healthy public policy and principles of social justice, understanding the determinants of health, and the origins of health disparities and inequities, as outlined by the BC College of Nurses and Midwives. 

Recognizing the broad array of determinants and working towards reducing inequities requires inter-sectoral collaboration between governments, businesses, civil and health actors.​2​ 

The fourteen social determinants of health as outlined by the Canadian Public Health Agency include: 

  • Income and Income Distribution 
  • Education 
  • Unemployment and Job Security 
  • Employment and Working Conditions 
  • Early Childhood Development 
  • Food Insecurity 
  • Housing 
  • Social Exclusion 
  • Social Safety Network 
  • Health Services 
  • Aboriginal Status 
  • Gender 
  • Race Disability 

All fourteen social determinants of health have been proven to have a stronger effect on the health outcomes of individuals than behaviour and lifestyle. 

Key Considerations  

  • Nurses play an important role in advocating for British Columbians’ health because they recognize the downstream impacts of poor determinants in their communities and workplaces. 
  • Many of the individuals who present with health issues in the ER have landed there as a result of lack of housing, poor nutrition, unemployment or poverty. 
  • Nurses understand the impact social determinants have on the individuals and groups they work with and include these factors in their assessments. At a broader level, by advancing progressive policies that address the social determinants of health, nursing can improve the health outcomes of British Columbians. 
  • Nurses have both a professional and ethical responsibility to promote health equity through action on the social determinants of health. 
  • Reducing health inequities, with a goal of eliminating them, must be a priority in all domains of nursing practice. 
  • NNPBC supports the concept of ‘health in all policies’, an approach to policymaking that considers the health impacts in areas such as finance, education, housing, employment and transport. It assists leaders and policymakers to ‘integrate considerations of health, well-being and equity during the development, implementation and evaluation of such policies and services. 
  • Government must re-examine how cuts to social service organizations and funding organizations that support those suffering from socioeconomic disadvantages have negatively impacted these populations and take immediate steps to develop new frameworks and resources, with support from the health care community. 
  • Government and all sectors need to recognize and work to achieve the principles outlined in the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on the Social Determinants of Health: 
  • Improve the conditions of daily life 
  • Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money and resources 
  • Measure the problem, evaluate action, expand the knowledge base, develop a workforce that is trained in the social determinants of health and raise public awareness of the social determinants of health.

Further Reading/Resources 

Please feel free to direct questions and additional comments to info@nnpbc.com. 

References 

​​1. Canadian Nurses Association. Social Determinants of Health in Nursing: A summary of the issues. 2005. Accessed February 20, 2026. https://database.ulinks.ca/items/show/4652 

​2. Mutaner C, Ng E, Chung H. Better health: An analysis of public policy and programming focusing on the determinants of health. National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. Published online 2012. Accessed February 20, 2026. http://www.chsrf.ca/publicationsandresources/ResearchReports/ArticleView/12-06-18/dced281f-7884-4d36-8b0f-a797aa7eec41.aspx 

​3. Government of British Columbia. B.C. Social Determinants of Health Value Set. December 18, 2025. Accessed February 20, 2026. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/health-information-standards/standards-catalogue/bc-social-determinants-of-health-standards 

​4. American Public Health Association. Michael Marmot and the Social Determinants of Health. November 1, 2016. Accessed February 20, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHYBHKma3x8 

​5. Reading CL, Wien F. Health inequalities and social determinants of Aboriginal peoples’ health. National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health. Published online 2009. Accessed February 20, 2026. http://www.nccah-ccnsa.ca/docs/social%20determinates/nccah-loppie-wien_report.pdf 

​6. Reading J, Halseth R. Pathways to improving well-being for indigenous peoples: How living conditions decide health. National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health. Published online 2013. Accessed February 20, 2026. http://www.nccah-ccnsa.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/102/pathways_EN_web.pdf 

​7. Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Institute of Population and Public Health. Population and public health ethics: Cases from research, policy, and practice. Published online 2012. Accessed February 20, 2026. https://jcb.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Population-and-Public-Health-Ethics-Casebook-ENGLISH.pdf 

​8. Mikkonen J, Raphael D. Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. York University School of Health Policy and Management. Published online 2010. Accessed February 20, 2026. https://thecanadianfacts.org/the_canadian_facts.pdf