Clinical meaning
Social determinants of health are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, including income, education, housing, food security, social support networks, employment, and access to healthcare services. These determinants create systemic health inequities that disproportionately affect marginalized populations including Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, refugees, immigrants, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, and people with disabilities. Health equity frameworks require nurses to move beyond individual patient care to recognize and address structural barriers that produce unequal health outcomes. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action include specific directives for healthcare, and Jordan's Principle ensures Indigenous children receive needed services without jurisdictional delays.
Exam relevance
Risk factors: - Poverty and income insecurity limiting access to medications, nutrition, and healthcare - Housing instability and homelessness increasing exposure to illness and injury - Food insecurity leading to malnutrition and chronic disease exacerbation - Systemic racism creating barriers to equitable healthcare access - Refugee and immigrant status with associated screening gaps and trust deficits - LGBTQ2S+ discrimination leading to delayed care seeking and mental health impacts - Disability-related barriers in healthcare environments and communication - Geographic isolation limiting access to specialized services - Implicit bias in pain management leading to undertreatment in racialized populations - Diagnostic bias resulting in delayed or missed diagnoses in marginalized groups