Which of the following are examples of social determinants of health?

• A. Poverty and education
• B. Height and eye color
• C. Blood type
• D. Heart rate at rest

Answer: (A)

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, plus the broader forces that shape daily life and access to resources. Poverty and education illustrate how these social and economic factors influence health: lacking money can limit access to nutritious food, safe housing, clean water, and healthcare, while education affects health literacy, job opportunities, and income, all of which shape health risks and the ability to manage illness. The other options point to biological traits or immediate health status rather than the social and structural conditions that shape health outcomes: height and eye color are genetic features; blood type is also genetic; heart rate at rest is an individual physiological measure and not a social determinant.