Why publish yet another book about the social determinants of health? This was the initial reaction of a reader to whom Cambridge University Press sent our book proposal. The response is unsurprising. The past decade has seen the publication of some 15 books, major reports or special journal issues dealing with the social determinants of health. The number of individual journal articles has soared.
Can there really be a need for another overview of the subject? Cambridge's reader went on to say the initial scepticism was immediately dispelled by the originality of the material and the arguments put forward by the individual contributors: ‘I am persuaded that this book will make a substantial, and novel, contribution to the literature, both in Australasia as well as internationally.'
We are also confident of the value of this book—for two main reasons. First, the existing literature has focused on the North American and European situations; we want to put the Antipodes on the social epidemiological map. Secondly, the recent literature has concentrated on socio-economic inequality as a prime determinant of health; we believe this book adds important historical, global and cultural dimensions to the social sources of health and well-being.
The book has its origins in the establishment of the Health Inequalities Research Collaboration by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care to promote a better understanding of why some groups in the community are healthier than others. One of the early tasks of the Collaboration was to organise a major conference, held in Canberra in July 2000. Its aim was to build scientific, public and policy recognition of the importance of the social determinants of health. New Zealand participants and perspectives were included because research and policy development in this area are more advanced there than in Australia.
From the conference came the book. It brings together leading scholars from both countries to establish a baseline of what we know and what we need to do. There are, inevitably, omissions. Between conference and book, a few contributions fell by the wayside. But other perspectives were added, particularly on the implications for policy, intervention and research.