Which statement best defines social determinants of health?

• A. Medical diagnoses
• B. Nonclinical conditions that influence health outcomes
• C. Hospital financing
• D. Genetic predisposition

Answer: (B)

Social determinants of health are nonclinical conditions that influence health outcomes. This means the circumstances in which people live, work, learn, and age, plus the broader social and economic forces that shape those conditions—things like housing quality, neighborhood safety, access to healthy foods, education, income, employment, transportation, social support, and experiences of discrimination. These factors affect risk, access to care, ability to follow medical advice, and resilience, helping explain why health outcomes can differ even when medical care is similar. They are not medical diagnoses, and they reflect more than hospital financing or genetic factors, which are biological or system-level concepts rather than the social conditions that shape daily life.