Finding effective ways to address social determinants of health

It has become a truism in the worlds of health care and public health that direct medical care accounts for only a small part of our actual health status. Even the best medical care, on average, will extend and improve our lives less than the combined benefits of nutritious foods, access to places to be physically active, safe and healthy homes, good air quality, lack of chronic stress, social support, and other aspects of what are sometimes called the “social determinants of health.” As much as 80 percent of the factors that influence our health, it turns out, operate outside the walls of the hospital or clinic.