Social determinants of health: Research outcomes
As well as high level ‘outcome’ targets, it is important to monitor the root causes of health. Many of these causes, or determinants, are social.
The Welsh Assembly Government has identified health gain targets in five priority areas:
- coronary heart disease;
- mental health;
- cancer;
- health of older people; and
- health of children.
In order to monitor the five priority areas, reviews were commissioned, leading to the development of evidence-based indicators.
A team led by Professor Stephen Stansfeld, Queen Mary, University of London, developed indicators for coronary heart disease and mental health.
Further work was commissioned in 2006 led by Dr Alison Weightman (Support Unit for Research Evidence, Cardiff University) and Dr Michael Shepherd (Cardiff Institute for Society, Health and Ethics, Cardiff University), leading to indicators in the remaining three priority areas of cancer, children’s health and older people’s health.
Full versions of the cancer, children’s health and older people’s health reports will be available shortly.