Reworking the Social Determinants of Health: Responding to Material-Semiotic Indeterminacy in Public Health...

Area of Science:

• Cross-disciplinary research in public health and medical anthropology.
• Environmental influences on health and well-being.

Background:

• Public health and medical anthropology share an interest in environmental factors affecting health.
• Disciplinary differences exist in evaluating health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare the "social determinants of health" framework with anthropological perspectives on the sociality of health.
• Analyze the deployment of the social determinants framework and its impact on health justice goals.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ethnographic fieldwork in Guatemala's highlands.
• Deconstructed key components of the "social determinants of health" framework: "the social," "determinants," and "of health."

Main Results:

• The social determinants of health framework may undermine its health justice objectives.
• An alternative approach, prioritizing community collaboration and acknowledging health's indeterminacy, is beneficial.

Conclusions:

• Reworking the emphasis on social determinants is necessary.
• Embracing health's material-semiotic indeterminacy and community-engaged research is crucial for effective health interventions.