Economic
People with higher incomes generally experience better health outcomes because they can afford safe housing, nutritious food, and healthcare.
What is income level?
riendships, family, and community networks support wellbeing through this important social factor.
What is social support?
Laws such as the drinking age or smoke-free policies fall under this determinant.
What is the Political Determinant?
Values, beliefs, traditions, and worldviews that shape how people understand health belong to this determinant.
What are cultural determinants?
Clean air, safe drinking water, and access to green spaces all fall under this determinant.
What are environmental determinants?
This economic factor creates long-term psychological and physical health risks, including anxiety, depression, and heart disease.
What is unemployment or job insecurity?
People who lack belonging or are pushed to the margins — such as migrants, disabled people, or refugees — often experience this harmful social phenomenon.
What is social exclusion?
A country’s decision to fund public hospitals or introduce free GP visits for youth is an example of this type of political influence.
What is health policy or government funding decisions?
Obligations to support extended family with food or accommodation is an example from this cultural framework.
What is whānau-based cultural responsibility?
Living near industrial areas increases risks of asthma or respiratory illness because of this environmental factor.
What is pollution / poor air quality?
People lower on this economic continuum consistently have poorer health outcomes compared to those at the top.
What is the social gradient?
Levels of volunteerism, trust, and community participation are part of this social factor shown to be more powerful for health than diet or access to healthcare.
What is social cohesion or social capital?
Government decisions about how much funding goes toward public transport, healthcare, or education can indirectly improve or worsen overall community health.
What is public policy/government resource allocation?
When someone avoids seeking healthcare because of stigma or cultural expectations about “toughing it out,” this type of cultural influence is at play.
What are cultural norms / expectations?
Neighbourhoods without safe footpaths, lighting, or nearby recreational spaces often see lower physical activity levels and higher rates of preventable diseases.
What is access to safe physical activity spaces?
Limited access to affordable transport can reduce employment options, decrease social participation, and make it harder to access healthcare or healthy food. This demonstrates how this specific economic determinant affects multiple aspects of health.
What is lack of access to reliable or affordable transport?
Workplaces with low control, high demand, or limited recognition increase stress and illness due to this social determinant.
What are poor work conditions?
When governments prioritise economic growth over social protections, low-income families can face rising living costs without support, increasing stress and widening health inequalities.
What is political prioritisation/government economic strategy?
Colonisation and historic injustices impact present-day health inequities through this cultural and societal determinant.
What is historical trauma or colonisation?
Flooding, storms, or heat waves can disrupt access to healthcare, increase disease spread, and damage housing, demonstrating how this environmental factor directly influences health outcomes.
What is extreme weather / climate-related environmental risk?
Communities with chronic low income often face limited access to healthcare, poor-quality housing, reduced educational opportunities, and higher exposure to stress. These interconnected disadvantages combine over time to create large-scale, predictable health inequities. This describes the impact of this major economic determinant.
What is socio-economic inequality? OR What is socioeconomic disadvantage?
Breakdown in community support systems can lead individuals to cope through alcohol, drugs, or gambling, demonstrating this relationship between social environment and health behaviour.
What is addiction resulting from social disadvantage?
This determinant explains how ideology and government priorities directly shape health equity, resource distribution, and rights such as access to healthcare.
What is political ideology/governance?
This determinant explains how cultural identity, spiritual beliefs, and connection to land shape a person’s sense of well-being and health decision-making.
What is cultural identity / spiritual worldview?
Climate-related factors such as rising temperatures, flooding, and drought influence health by affecting housing, food supply, and disease patterns.
What is climate change as an environmental determinant?