Health in Hamilton neighbourhoods: Exploring the determinants of health at the local level

The population health perspective recognizes a broad range of characteristics that are thought to be important determinants of health. In Canada, 12 such determinants of health are recognized, which range from lifestyle practices and the use of health care services to social and physical environments. While the list of social determinants is quite exhaustive, few studies have examined the relative importance of these determinants. The intent of this paper is to examine the relative importance of a range of social determinants of health in predicting four health outcomes of interest using data from a neighbourhood-level cross-sectional health survey conducted in Hamilton, Ontario. The results show that key social determinants of health vary by health outcome. The significance of the findings is discussed in terms of policy relevance and future research.