Social Determinants and their impact on the health of Central American workers during the last decade

Abstract

At present, the approach to the social determinants of health represents an enormous challenge within the predominant biologicist paradigm in Biomedical Sciences, preventing the evolution towards a health model oriented to the prevention of diseases and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. In view of the above, the present work aims to characterize the context of the social determinants of health in Central America and its relationship with the quality of life of workers in the isthmus and the population in general. For this, the impact and dimensions of poverty, education, access to work, inequalities in gender issues and discrimination against vulnerable populations are exposed. Likewise, it describes the way in which social and labor inequities are faced in our countries, as well as the institutions in charge of the comprehensive study of these determinants. Additionally, it reflects on the formation of interdisciplinary academic research networks as one of the most effective strategies to analyze and face social inequities in health, exemplified in turn with an experience of teacher mobility and regional collaboration. In conclusion, we urge governments and industries to implement sustainable development policies based on the knowledge generated from university academic settings, especially considering the approach to social determinants of health in Central American populations.