Social Determinants of Health and Health Equity: Implications for Preventive Practice

No review of contemporary preventive medicine is complete without an examination of the upstream social, economic, and structural determinants that shape population health outcomes. This chapter reviews the robust epidemiological evidence linking income inequality, educational attainment, housing, food security, and structural racism to differential disease burdens across populations. It critically evaluates the evidence for place-based, policy-level, and community-led interventions targeting health equity, and discusses the science of translating health equity research into scalable preventive action.