Our Health

There are basically 5 major determinates of health outside our genetics.

• Individual behavior:  how and what we eat, whether we exercise, wear seat belts.
• Social relations:  how we relate in our families and with  co-workers and neighbors, whether we feel included and have meaningful friendships.
• Physical environment: the quality of natural environment such as our air and water; the nature of our built environment, such as the accessibility of our public transportation systems and safety of our buildings.
• Economic status: one’s relative financial and/or material resources.  Those living in poverty are far more likely to have lives defined by illness and to die early in life; increased economic disparity within a group or a community worsens everyone’s health status.
• Access to healthcare services: whether we have regular access to quality health services, particularly primary care services.