Which statement best describes the social model of health?

Which statement best describes the social model of health?

• A. It focuses on biological factors and medical treatment.
• B. It emphasizes social, economic and environmental determinants and prevention.
• C. It views health as only the absence of disease.
• D. It ignores preventive health programs.

Answer: (B)

Health is shaped by more than biology; the social model of health focuses on how the conditions in which people live, work, and age—plus factors like income, education, housing, social support, and the surrounding environment—affect health outcomes. It highlights social, economic, and environmental determinants and prioritizes prevention and reducing inequities. This contrasts with a purely biomedical view that centers on biological factors and medical treatment, and with a view that defines health simply as the absence of disease. Because it centers on prevention and the broad determinants of health, the description that best captures the social model is that health is influenced by social, economic, and environmental factors and prevention.

Health is shaped by more than biology; the social model of health focuses on how the conditions in which people live, work, and age—plus factors like income, education, housing, social support, and the surrounding environment—affect health outcomes. It highlights social, economic, and environmental determinants and prioritizes prevention and reducing inequities. This contrasts with a purely biomedical view that centers on biological factors and medical treatment, and with a view that defines health simply as the absence of disease. Because it centers on prevention and the broad determinants of health, the description that best captures the social model is that health is influenced by social, economic, and environmental factors and prevention.