Expanding Knowledge on the Determinants of Health

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The determinants of health framework is undergoing constant clarification as knowledge is gained and integrated. The following is a sample of recent documents representing what we are learning about the interaction among various "environments" or factors and their impact on health.

Healthy Development of Children and Youth: The Role of the Determinants of Health
This Health Canada report looks at how various health determinants shape healthy child development, and discusses conditions and trends relevant to the health of Canadian children and youth.

Social Determinants of Health
The Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts, a readable 27-page booklet published in 1998, is available at http://www.who.dk/healthy-cities/determ.htm. It is part of a WHO Regional Office for Europe campaign to make the non-scientific community aware of evidence of social determinants of health, and to promote debate and action.

The message of the booklet is expanded on in Social Determinants of Health (edited by Michael Marmot and Richard G. Wilkinson, Oxford University Press, 1999). This book shows that health is not just about individual behaviour or exposure to risk, but that a population's social and economic structure shapes its health.

Nutrition for Healthy Pregnancy: National Guidelines for the Childbearing Years
In this Health Canada report, nutrition and pregnancy are discussed in the context of health determinants such as economic status, education, culture and lifestyle factors. The guidelines are intended for health professionals who offer nutritional guidance to women.

How Healthy are Canadians?
Statistics Canada Health Reports, Catalogue No. 82-003-XPB99003
The special winter 1999 issue of Health Reports focuses on the health of Canadians.  Copies of the report cost $35 and are available from order@statcan.ca or by calling 1-800-700-1033.

Building a Healthy Future
Looking for a way to explain Population Health to the public? Health Canada has worked with the Canadian Public Health Association to produce Building a Healthy Future, which will provide health organizations and the general public with key messages from the Second Report on the Health of Canadians. This short, plain-language document is one way of getting population health messages out to people who are not likely to read the Second Report itself. To get copies of this publication, contact CPHA at hrc@cpha.ca. You may also access it electronically at www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ph-sp/phdd/resources/Building_e.pdf. Please help to get this information to the public!

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