Understand the forces and trends that combine to shape the health of individuals, communities and populations.

Social Determinants of Health introduces a range of topics related to health and well-being in the context of a conceptual framework of determinants of health. It provides an introduction to some of the important ideas that underlie the field of public health, aiming to give students an understanding of the causes of health, rather than just the effects of health status in society.

By examining the social, cultural, economic and environmental determinants of health, students will gain a greater understanding of current issues in public health in terms of their causes and interrelationships. This book demonstrates how an understanding of social determinants will support students to become knowledgeable health professionals allowing them to practise effectively in the modern healthcare context.

KEY FEATURES

• Each chapter is free-standing, but all are linked through the framework of social determinants of health
• Case Examples demonstrate theory in real-world settings
• Stop and Think questions and Reflection exercises encourage students to consolidate and articulate the theory learnt in a chapter
• Key term margin notes highlight important concepts.

1. Health, illness, and well-being:  An introduction to social determinants of health 
Pranee Liamputtong
PART 1: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 
2. Health as a social construct 
Cassandra Wright & Peter Higgs 
3. Culture as a social determinant of health 
Pranee Liamputtong & Dusanee Suwankhong 
4. Deviance, difference, and stigma as social  determinants of health 
Pranee Liamputting & Somsri Kitisriworapan 
5. Social justice, human rights and social determinants of health 
Debra Miles 
6. Health promotion principles and practice 
Kate McBride, Freya McMillan, Emma George & Genevieve Steiner 
7. Economic determinants of health and disease 
Elizabeth Martin & David Brain
PART 2: SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND APPLICATION 
8. Social determinants of Australia’s First Peoples’ health: A multilevel empowerment perspective 
Lisa Jackson Pulver, Megan Williams & Sally Fitzpatrick 
9. Gender and sexuality as social determinants of health 
Tinashe Dune & Pranee Liamputtong 
10. Health throughout the life course 
Christopher Fox 
11. Health and the living environment 
Liz Hanna 
12. Health and the media 
Linda Portsmouth 
13. The social determinants and the healthcare system 
Yvonne Parry & Eileen Willis 
14. Social determinants of health on a global scale 
Deborah Gleeson & Susan Chong

Pranee Liamputtong is a medical anthropologist and Professor of Public Health at the School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Australia.