Module 2. Determinants of Population Health  

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will be able to

  • recognize the key differences between the terms “determinants of health” and “social determinants of health";
  • describe the impact of adverse childhood experiences and psychosocial stress on population health status;
  • articulate the key role of income and income distribution as a fundamental determinant of health;
  • define the social gradient and its contribution to population-level health inequities;
  • explain how the absence of social support and social exclusion fosters inequities in population health.

Learning Activities

Course Reserves can be accessed using the Library Resources widget on the Course Home page.

Defining Social Determinants of Health

The Effects of Childhood Experiences and Psychosocial Stress

  • 2b. Pathways to Population Health Inequities: Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychosocial Stress
  • Course Reserve: Hertzman, C., & Boyce, T. (2010). How experience gets under the skin to create gradients in developmental health. Annual review of public health, 31, 329–347.
  • Course Reserve: Kim, P., Evans, G.W., Angstadt, M., Ho, S.S., Sripada, C.S., Swain, J.E., ... & Phan, K.L. (2013). Effects of childhood poverty and chronic stress on emotion regulatory brain function in adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(46), 18442–18447.

The Effects of Other Social Determinants of Health


Optional Readings

  • Course Reserve: Lucyk, K., & McLaren, L. (2017). Taking stock of the social determinants of health: A scoping review. PLOS ONE12(5), e0177306. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177306
  • Course Reserve: Marmot, M. (2017). Commentary: Social determinants and the health gap: Creating a social movement. International Journal of Epidemiology, 46(4), 1335–1339.
  • Course Reserve: Savage, M. (2017). Commentary: Inequalities and health: An opportunity missed? International Journal of Epidemiology, 46(4), 1323–1324.

Activities and Assignments