Which statement best captures a misconception about social determinants of health?

• A. SDoH influence access to care and health outcomes.
• B. SES interacts with race to shape health disparities.
• C. Neighborhood safety affects physical activity levels.
• D. Health outcomes are solely determined by genetics.

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is that health is shaped by both biology and the social and physical conditions in which people live. Social determinants of health are the day-to-day factors—like income, education, race, neighborhood safety, and access to care—that influence how likely someone is to develop and manage disease. Saying that health outcomes are solely determined by genetics misses this important reality. Genetics can set potential, but the actual health outcome is strongly shaped by environment, resources, stress, exposure to risks, and the ease or barriers to getting care. That’s why the statement that health outcomes are solely determined by genetics is a misconception about social determinants of health. The other statements align with SDoH: they describe how access to care, socioeconomic status interacting with race, and neighborhood safety all influence health in real ways.