The Social Environment and the Health Care sector

The objective of this thesis was to defend an alternative approach by health policy makers for improving health outcomes through investing on social factors of peoples' lives, rather than by increasing health expenditures. In order to defend this theory, this master thesis addresses two research questions: Which are the social determinants of health with largest impact on health status of individuals? And what is the statistical correlation between those social determinants of health and self-reported health status, and psychological health, for Germany, Denmark, Spain and Ireland? The first question was answered by developing a comprehensive research among the mostrelevant literature in the field of social determinants of health and the second through the construction of a statistical multiple regression model. According this study the social determinants with largest impact on the health status of individuals are: physical activity, education level, the welfare state, emotional support, socio-economic status, living conditions, working conditions, and life balance. Regarding the results of multiple regression models all variables followed the expected trend and it was possible to proof significant statistical correlation in 7 of the 8 determinants chosen, especially in the cases of working conditions and life balance, where those having problems managing these aspects of life experienced 50% or in some cases 30% of the health status of individuals with positive experiences in these life dimensions.