Abstract
Background: The health status of people is unequal despite extensive efforts on health improvements. Among factors that affect inequality in health, some factors can be mitigated by good policy interventions whereas others factors cannot. According to the concept of the social determinants of health, health status is strongly affected by political, economic, and social factors that could have been mitigated. This article introduces the political determinants of health as a concept of analyzing political factors among the social determinants of health.
Contents: No widely accepted definition is available about the political determinants of health. Researchers typically focus on the lack of capacity and political will among governments and non-state players in health. They also analyze conflicts of interest among players. The political determinants of health have been studied both at the global and state levels. Research in global health includes disparities in power among players and insufficient governance, such as the emergence of new players and conflicts with existing players. Other research addresses differences in political regimes and policy options that determine health inequity, including the influences of political instabilities on health inequity.
Conclusions: The political determinants of health are a relatively new academic concept although practitioners have long faced issues regarding politics and health. From different points of view on politics and health, researchers are expected to examine the available research critically and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the political determinants of health.
