The concept of the ‘social determinants of health’ continues to make its way into popular media – it’s on YouTube! On August 5, 2011, thecanadianfacts.org uploaded a video that explains that our health is primarily affected by our living conditions, not medical treatments or lifestyle choices.
This is not the first YouTube video on the social determinants of health. However, the effort continues the commitment to share knowledge with the general public. It is not special knowledge that should be exclusive to public health workers. The reality is that public health workers on their own can’t improve people’s health (nor should public health workers do it on their own).
While the video introduces the social determinants of health, details can be found in the free report The Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts. I won’t go into the facts here, but I will emphasize six actions that anyone (i.e., including public health workers) can take to improve health for all:
- Ask your elected representative in government: what is being done to address these issues?
- Support candidates of political parties that are receptive to the social determinants of health concept.
- Raise these issues with agencies, organizations, and institutions whose mandates include promoting health and preventing illness.
- Ask public health units, disease associations (e.g., Heart and Stroke Foundation, etc.), and health care organizations (e.g., hospitals, professional associations): what is being done to educate Canadians about the social determinants of health and promote public policy action?
- Join and/or support organizations that work to strengthen the social determinants of health.
- Spread the word – share the video, share the report, talk about it with people you know (e.g., family, friends, co-workers, classmates, etc.).
We all want better living conditions and good health. How will you help spread the word and improve health for all?
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