What Influences Health?
Health is influenced by much more than our biology, genetics and access to doctors and hospitals. The social, physical and economic conditions in which we are born, live, work and age have a much greater impact on our health. These conditions are also known as the social determinants of health. They include, amongst other factors, how much money you make, what level of education you complete, whether you have a job that offers a living wage and benefits, your ability to access nutritious food, live in a safe, affordable house, and have social and community supports. Personal lifestyle choices like what food you eat and whether you are physically active also play a role in supporting health, but the social determinants are factors that are often outside of our control and can impact our personal choices and the opportunities we have to be healthy.
Health Equity
Health equity is when all people can access and act on opportunities to reach their full health potential and are not limited from doing so because of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, social class, income level or other social or economic circumstances.
Achieving health equity involves an all-of society approach, from offering resources and supports to individuals or groups based on their level of need, to advocating for healthy public policies at all levels of government. The health unit is one of many partners in Simcoe Muskoka taking action collectively in various ways to support and achieve health equity by addressing the social determinants of health.
We:
- Assess and report on the socio-economic conditions of our communities and the health of those populations experiencing health inequities.
- Make our programs and services more accessible to all people.
- Engage with individuals and community partners to address local and system-wide barriers that create health inequities through action and advocacy.
For more information:
Call Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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