What’s Driving Our Health

Broadening our view of health starts with understanding what people currently believe. How do we think we are being affected by factors like food, housing, and transportation? How do we think others are affected? Do we even believe that social factors play a role in our health?

To help answer these questions, we conducted a nationally representative survey of 5,000 adults to provide a benchmark for how people in the U.S. think about whole health at this moment in time.

While many people in the U.S. are aware that drivers like financial stability, mental health, and access to nutritious food can significantly impact our health, we need to expand our understanding to include all the drivers that shape health.

Backgrounds and circumstances can greatly influence our ability to meet our basic needs and access services. Inequities among demographic groups shape an individual’s view of whole health and the ability to advance equity.

In the U.S., consumers believe that action is needed to address the social drivers of health, but no one entity should be held solely responsible. To meaningfully improve health, we need to reimagine the health  system to support this broader view and continue to strengthen the communities that place a foundational and vital role in individual health.