Social Determinants of Health

Health inequalities are reliably observed within and between countries. Understanding the processes through which social environment influences health outcomes has become an important question across the medical and social science fields. Increasing attention on health inequalities by researchers and politicians over recent years requires a new generation of health professionals who can critically assess scientific findings and translate them into policy and practice.

This course provides a strong, interdisciplinary foundation in social theory and the methodological instruments needed for individuals interested in making an impact on the way people are born, live, grow, work, and age (including the healthcare system).

Who is it for?

This course will benefit those wanting to develop their knowledge of international health systems, as well as global social and health inequalities and their resulting health outcomes.

Timetable

Term 2

Jan: Wednesday 20 and 27 January 2027
Feb: Wednesday 3, 10, 17 and 24 February 2027
Mar: Wednesday 3, 10, 17,  24, and 31 March 2027

Benefits

The key takeaway from this course is an understanding of socio-economic health inequality and the relationship between social environment and health outcomes.

This short course module is designed to be flexible in allowing you to study and reach your goals at your own pace. Our health CPD courses are credit-bearing modules that contribute to a University degree or award.

Transfer course credits towards postgraduate taught degree

As a health care professional, once you've completed this course you could offset 15 credits as part of a postgraduate programme, continuing your study with further modules to make up a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits, Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) 120 credits or Master of Science (MSc) 180 credits qualification (all credits must be awarded within five years of study commencing).

Course content includes:

• the determinants of health, health equity, inequalities and inequities, and assessment of health inequalities including the use of social deprivation and concentration indices
• explanatory perspectives and integrated models of socio-economic inequalities in health and the social determinants of health
• socio-economic position, social gradient and health
• social cohesion, social capital, social integration, social networks, social support and health.
• multilevel influences (e.g. neighbourhood and place) on health
• gender as a social determinant of health
• ethnicity, race, discrimination and stigma as social determinants of health
• cultural/behavioural, materialist/structuralist and life-course perspectives
• strategies to reduce socio-economic health inequalities.

On completion of this course, you will be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of how health varies systematically according to social, economic and political factors.
• Demonstrate critical understanding of the relationships between individual, interpersonal, social, structural, cultural and biological factors as they impact the aetiology and management of illness.
• Demonstrate critical understanding of how social context, social position and social stratification contribute to inequities in health, and how appropriate policies could tackle societal health gaps.
• Demonstrate critical understanding of the potential mechanisms through which social factors (e.g. income inequality and adverse childhood experiences) can influence individual health across the life-course and shape population patterns of morbidity and mortality).
• Demonstrate critical understanding of evidence-based interventions for reducing social inequalities in health.

Skills:

• Apply and critically discuss basic terms, concepts and measurements related to population health and health inequalities.
• Independently and critically apply major theoretical perspectives to the explanation of social determinants of health.
• Critically evaluate evidence for social determinants of health and identify key gaps in knowledge.

Values and attitudes:

• Demonstrate critical understanding of key social determinants of health and to understand their relevance in national and global contexts.
• Demonstrate and apply an awareness of the ethical issues underlying global health.

Teaching

Teaching and learning will take place through a combination of interactive lectures, group work and practical exercises. This will enable you to examine the issues in more detail, through both teacher and peer-led input, promoting discussion and developing communication and group working skills.

Teaching sessions will take place over ten half-days, and are supplemented by self-directed study that enables students to gain a deeper overall understanding of the subject, as well as pursue topics which are of particular interest to them in greater detail.

Teaching and learning are facilitated by Moodle, the University’s online Virtual Learning Environment. A formative assessment comprising small group presentations will encourage engagement with ideas and evidence in a group context that can subsequently be developed in the individual course assessment.

This course is provided by the School of Health & Medical Sciences.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

• A first degree in a medical/health or social sciences discipline is required (minimum 2:1 honours degree, 3.0 GPA or an equivalent international degree)
• Applicants with equivalent qualifications or substantial experience in health services will also be considered on an individual basis.

English requirements

If your first language is not English, one of the following is required:

• A first degree from a UK university
• A first degree from an overseas institution recognised by City, University of London as providing adequate evidence of proficiency in the English language, for example, from institutions from Australia, Canada or the United States of America.
• International English Language Test Service (IELTS) a score of 7.0 is required with no subtest below 6.5
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) score 72 required
• TOEFL 100 overall with 24 in Writing, 20 in Listening, 19 Reading and 20 Speaking
• Other evidence of proficiency in the English language, which satisfies the board of studies concerned, including registration with your professional regulator.

• Adler N.E., Boyce T., Chesney M.A., Cohen S., Folkman S., Kohn R.L. & Syme S.L. (1994). Socioeconomic status and health: The challenge of the gradient. American Psychologist; 49(1): 15-24.
• Diez Roux A.V. (2001). Investigating neighbourhood and area effects on health. American Journal of Public Health. 91(11): 1783-1789
• Kawachi I. & Berkman L. (2000). Social cohesion, social capital, and health. In L.F. Berkman and I. Kawachi (eds), Social Epidemiology, pp 174-90. Oxford University Press: New York.
• Marmot, M. & Wilkinson, R.G. (eds) (2006). Social Determinants of Health. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Schulz A. & Northridge M.E. (2004). Social Determinants of Health: Implications for Environmental Health Promotion. Health Education & Behavior. 31(4): 455-471.
• Wilkinson R.G. & Pickett K.E. (2009). The Spirit Level: Why greater equality makes societies stronger. New York: Bloomsbury.
• Wingood GM & Diclemente RJ. (2005). Application of the theory of gender and power to examine HIV-related exposures, risk factors, and effective interventions for women. Health Education and Behavior. 27(5): 539-565.
• World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008). Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity Through Action on the Social Determinants of Health.