What are social determinants of health (SDOH)?

• A. Genetic determinants
• B. Non medical factors that influence health outcomes
• C. Medication adherence
• D. Insurance status only

Answer: (B)

Social determinants of health are the nonmedical factors that shape how health outcomes unfold by influencing risk exposure, health behaviors, and access to resources. They include where people are born, grow up, work, live, and age, along with elements like economic stability, education, the quality of the environment, access to healthcare, social support, and experiences of discrimination or policy barriers. Recognizing SDOH helps explain why health varies beyond biology or single medical interventions. The best answer captures this broad, nonmedical scope. By contrast, genetic determinants are biological factors; medication adherence is a health behavior; and describing SDOH as “insurance status only” narrows the concept too much, ignoring many other social factors that shape health.