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The impact of social determinants of health on paediatric perioperative adverse events - a narrative review

The social determinants of health, as described by the World Health Organisation (WHO), are 'the non-medical factors' that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. According to the WHO, social determinants of health account for between 30-55% of health outcomes, and children can be particularly vulnerable to their impacts. 

Citation:
Costello C, Heath C, Hauser N, von Ungern-Sternberg BS. The impact of social determinants of health on paediatric perioperative adverse events - a narrative review. Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med. 2026.

Keywords:
Adverse events; paediatric anaesthesia; peri-operative; respiratory adverse events; social determinants of health; socioeconomic status

Abstract:
The social determinants of health, as described by the World Health Organisation (WHO), are 'the non-medical factors' that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. According to the WHO, social determinants of health account for between 30-55% of health outcomes, and children can be particularly vulnerable to their impacts.