MEDICINE AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Abstract

This chapter aims to analyze the relationship between medical practice and the social determinants of health, emphasizing how economic, environmental, cultural, and educational factors directly influence the health-disease process. It is a narrative literature review based on national and international scientific publications available in databases such as SciELO, PubMed, and Google Scholar, prioritizing recent studies on social medicine and primary health care. The findings indicate that poor living conditions, social inequality, food insecurity, and limited access to quality health services are strongly associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates and the persistence of preventable diseases. Furthermore, it is observed that medical practice, when integrated with intersectoral public policies, contributes to more effective and equitable health interventions. It is concluded that understanding social determinants of health is essential for contemporary medical education, promoting more humanized, resolutive, and equity-oriented healthcare practices.