Early life and the social determinants of health

Stephen Bezruchka

Chapter 8 in Handbook on the Social Determinants of Health, 2025, pp 93-111 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The first 1000 days after conception is a critical period when about half of adult health outcomes are programmed. Preconception stress may matter more than in utero stress. Early life lasts a lifetime. Birthweight and the gestational period are surrogate markers of fetal development. Then subsequent conditions to promote secure attachment and avoidance of adverse childhood experiences are salutary. Such conditions vary among families, cultures and communities globally. Compromises in these formative years lead to today’s increasing chronic disease burden around the world for which medical care provides maintenance rather than cure. Healthier societies privilege this period through political and social policies such as ensuring time and resources for lowering stress and supporting appropriate parenting. The social determinants of health (SDoH) perspective in this chapter explores factors affecting early life and how they are shaped through differing forms of power distribution that are often the result of historical legacies.

Keywords: Economics and Finance; Sociology and Social Policy; Sustainable Development Goals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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