Social determinants of health shape our lives. They determine whether we have access to food or shelter, whether we are able to work, and how long we live. Social determinants of health also affect our mental and emotional well-being–as well as our physical health.

The term “social determinants” refers specifically to the factors that affect a person’s ability to have good nutrition and access to healthcare services. These include income inequality, unemployment rates, education levels, housing costs and availability (among others).

Mental Health

Mental health is the state of someone’s mind, which can be defined as a person’s ability to cope with life’s challenges. Mental health is not simply about feeling good; it also involves an individual’s ability to function effectively in society and maintain their place in it.

Social determinants can have a significant impact on mental health because they create stressors that lead to depression, anxiety, substance abuse and other disorders that negatively affect our lives even if we are not aware it is happening until later on down the line (e.g., after years of struggling).

Emotional Well-Being

When it comes to emotional well-being, social support is a critical factor. Likewise, social support has been linked to mental health and physical health too. It’s not just about having friends or family members who care about you; it also includes the relationships we have with people in our lives who are strangers but offer us support when we need it. Social isolation is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety than being in good company (1). And if you’re feeling vulnerable on the job or dealing with family issues—or even just changing jobs—the right kind of connection can make all the difference in your ability to cope with stressors (2).

Physical Health

Physical health is a combination of mental, social, and physical factors. It’s important to understand that physical health is not just the absence of disease or injury—it’s also about how well you can perform daily activities like walking and lifting.

Physical Health: Your ability to perform daily activities

If you’re physically healthy, then it means that your body has enough energy in the blood stream at all times (energy levels are called blood glucose). If there isn’t enough energy present in your bloodstream then something needs to be done—either by eating food with more carbohydrates or taking medication such as insulin injections if someone has diabetes mellitus type 1 (type 2 can also cause this condition). If someone doesn’t have enough glucose circulating through their system then they won’t be able to do anything physically demanding like running around outside without feeling exhausted afterwards!

social determinants of health
Social determinants of health shape your life.

Social determinants of health shape your life. They influence your health in many ways, such as:

  • Socioeconomic status (SES) is the combination of income, wealth and education levels that determine whether you have enough money to live on. In developed countries like the United States, SES can be measured by comparing people with different incomes or wealth levels. For instance, a person who earns $100 per hour has more wealth than someone who earns $80 per hour because they have more assets like cars and houses—assets which can be used for food or shelter if needed.
  • Education plays an important role in determining how healthy you are because it affects everything from diet to disease prevention behaviors throughout life.* Housing determines where people live; overcrowding increases stress hormones like cortisol which may cause depression or anxiety disorders later on.* Food security refers to having access at least once per day (or week) year round regardless of income level—if there isn’t enough money coming into our bank accounts then we might run out before payday arrives!

In conclusion, we have seen that social determinants of health are important to the overall well-being of people. They shape our lives and play a role in many aspects of health. In this way, they are important to research because they can help us understand what is happening in society today and how it affects us.