According to the guide, what are the five main categories of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)?

• A. Economic stability, Education, Health care access/quality, Neighborhood/environment, and Social/ community context
• B. Economic stability, Education, Access to healthy foods, Housing stability
• C. Income level, Education, Health care quality, Transportation
• D. Education, Recreation access, Language proficiency, Housing density

Answer: (A)

The question is testing your knowledge of the standard framework used for Social Determinants of Health. The five main categories are economic stability, education, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Economic stability covers income, employment, and financial security that influence the ability to meet basic needs. Education encompasses not just schooling but health literacy and opportunities that affect life choices. Health care access and quality reflect whether people can obtain preventive and medical services and how well care is delivered. Neighborhood and built environment include housing conditions, safety, access to transportation, and environmental factors that shape daily life. Social and community context involves support networks, social cohesion, and experiences of discrimination or inclusion. When a question lists these five domains, it aligns with the guide’s framework. Other options often omit a domain or mix elements into inaccurate groupings (for example, treating access to healthy foods or housing stability as separate domains rather than parts of the neighborhood environment). This is why the five-domain answer is the best choice.