Poster Presentation

Citizens’ Rankings of the Social Determinants of Health :
A Pilot Study in Brantford, Ontario

Patricia Collins

While there has been extensive research on the social determinants of health, few studies have explored how the public understands the role of these determinants in influencing health outcomes. In the summer of 2001, we conducted a pilot study in Brantford, Ontario with 45 citizens who had varying degrees of involvement in the health care system. This study involved a survey soliciting public views regarding the three most important determinants of health relevant to their community. Participants were asked to rank their top three determinants from a list of eight that included: personal health practices & coping skills; social supports; education; income; employment & working conditions; physical environment; healthy child development; and formal health care system. We found overwhelming support for the personal health practices & coping skills determinant; 80% of participants felt it was among the top three determinants of health in their community. Education was ranked next highest. Income had the least support, and went unranked most frequently (over 80%). These findings were interesting given their stark contrast with a large body of research evidence that emphasizes the importance of income as a determinant of population health and downplays the importance of personal health practices. Our findings question the extent of influence that the determinants of health research has had in shaping public opinion. Is this apparent lack of influence an issue of similar individual-level values, strong collective values, or poor research dissemination? The findings from this study have prompted further exploration of the role of individual and community-level values in the acceptance of the determinants of health framework, the prioritization of determinants within this framework, and their roles as facilitators or barriers to action in the determinants of health domain.

Bio

Patricia Collins has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from McMaster University and is currently enrolled as a M.Sc. student in McMaster’s Health Research Methodology program. Her thesis project involves examining the relationship between active citizens’ values and political orientations, and their actions aimed at addressing the determinants of health at the community level. She is a research assistant at the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis, and has experience with mixed-method research projects involving both survey and qualitative research methodologies. Patricia aspires to gain experience working with a NGO conducting health policy research on the determinants of health.

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