Intersection of Social Determinants of Health and Vulnerability

Figure 9.2

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Janet L. Gamble, Lesley Jantarasami, John Balbus

This figure appears in chapter 9 of the The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment report.

Social determinants of health interact with the three elements of vulnerability. The left side boxes provide examples of social determinants of health associated with each of the elements of vulnerability. Increased exposure, increased sensitivity and reduced adaptive capacity all affect vulnerability at different points in the causal chain from climate drivers to health outcomes (middle boxes). Adaptive capacity can influence exposure and sensitivity and also can influence the resilience of individuals or populations experiencing health impacts by influencing access to care and preventive services. The right side boxes provide illustrative examples of the implications of social determinants on increased exposure, increased sensitivity, and reduced adaptive capacity.

Free to use with credit to the original figure source.

This figure was created on October 19, 2015.

The spatial range for this figure is N/A° to N/A° latitude, and N/A° to N/A° longitude.