Strengthening the Public Research Agenda for Social Determinants of Health

Abstract

As the nation's health research agency, the mission of the NIH is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. In addition to improving our understanding of the biological bases of health and disease, NIH-supported research demonstrates the compelling influence of social determinants on health outcomes. Across the life span, social and environmental contexts can affect rates of incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases. Reports from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), 1 Phillips D. Shonkoff J. From neurons to neighborhoods: the science of early childhood development. National Academies Press, Washington DC2000 Google Scholar , 2 Smedley B.D. Carstensen L.L. Promoting health: intervention strategies from social and behavioral research. National Academies Press, Washington DC2000 Google Scholar WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health, 3 World Health Organization (WHO)Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the social determinants of health. Geneva, Switzerland2008http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2008/9789241563703_eng.pdf Google Scholar and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Commission to Build a Healthier America 4 Miller W. Simon P. Maleque S. Beyond health care: new directions to a healthier America. The Robert Wood Johnson Commission to Build a Healthier America, Washington DC2009www.commissiononhealth.org/Report.aspx?Publication=64498 Google Scholar agree that social determinants are not only contributing factors for risk and resilience for health, but are important considerations for interventions beyond the individual to macro levels including neighborhoods, communities, and public policy.