Social Determinants of Health: Knowledge to Effective Action for Change

• There is increasing awareness of the complex interplay between social conditions, economics, politics, and health.
• A new model is presented to assist nurse practitioners in translating knowledge about the social determinants of health (SDH) into effective action for change.
• NPs can be the leaders in bridging silos by collaborating across professions to effectively address SDH by insisting that both health care and non‒health care policies incorporate a social determinants approach.

For centuries, epidemiologists have affirmed the association between social conditions, environmental factors, and health. Not until recent years has serious attention been given to the importance of social determinants in shaping health. In this article we provide a framework for understanding how social determinants influence health. The findings demonstrate connections between social conditions, environmental factors, and policy with relevance to health disparities, health equity, and social justice. Finally, we examine the challenges associated with understanding the social determinants of health and offer a model for nurse practitioners to translate knowledge into effective action for change.