“Social Determinants” affect workers' health, the bottom line
Employers would do well to address social determinants of health (SDH) when deciding upon health insurance and wellness plans, according to a "fast-track" paper in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
SDH are a range of social factors have a major influence on employees' health. They include individual-level factors such as education, income, and stress level; and work-related factors such as job type, wages and hours, and the physical and social work environment. Estimates suggest that social factors may contribute up to 40 percent of an individual's health status.