Most people, if you speak with them, get the basic concept of the social determinants of health. However, it is unclear if people recognize the essential role they play in improving health. Health equity in Canada requires broad public support and therefore a better understanding of the social determinants of health among the public.
The aim of this scoping review of Canadian literature is to examine how the Canadian public understands these seven key social determinants of health that we identified in Making the Connections and to identify gaps in the public’s understanding of the SODH and the research on this subject.