Looking at the Determinants of Health Perspective

During the needs assessment process, we speak a lot about the determinants of health.  In 1974, A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians (the Lalonde Report) promoted the idea that the health and well-being of Canadians involves more than the health care system.  The report suggested that adoption of healthier lifestyles and improvements in the social and phhiscial environments in which people live would be the principal means of improving the health of Canadians.  That report established a framework for the key factors that determine health status. 

A 1986 report, Achieving Health for All:  A Framework for Health Promotion, expanded on the 1974 report and helped to focus  society on the underlying prerequisites or determinants of health and illness.  It suggested that a number of influences and their interaction had major impacts on the health and well-being of a population.  Factors such as social, economic, cultural and physical environment play a role - for better or worse - in the health of a community.  This means that making improvements in the health and well-being of Canadians must go beyond delivery of health care services and include action on the broad determinants of health.  This is why we like to form our needs assessment advisory committee on the determinants of health and our needs assessment report looks at the deteminants of health of a report, not just the health services available.