Editorial: Social determinants and psychosocial factors that impact on health status

Abstract

Historically, several conceptual frameworks have been proposed to explain the determinants affecting the health-disease continuum. All of them considered individual variables, lifestyle, and health systems, but also contextual variables. Currently, there is consensus on the importance of the impact of social conditions, such as working conditions, socio-environmental setting, income level, access to education, or political-economic variables that play a crucial role in determining the health status of the population. To address these concerns, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines the social determinants of health as the “structural factors and living conditions that are responsible for much of the health inequities (…). The term ≪social determinants≫ summarizes the set of social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural factors that have a strong influence on health status”