I believe that the body of work on determinants of health set the tone for the Forum's work. In Canada, as in the other OECD nations, there is a gradient in the mortality rate based on income level. In other words, income is the best predictor of longevity. People are much like other primates in this respect. Dominant primates live longer because they have greater access to resources and experience less stress.
Income is an umbrella variable that can be explained by a combination of various factors.
Economists, political scientists and sociologists tend to look at outside factors that can affect income. Finally, some scientists try to find a balance between the macro-social factors and the variables that distinguish individuals. In order to advance knowledge in this field, the Determinants of Health working group has commissioned 32 papers from top Canadian researchers. It also wants to know how actions and measures of a non-medical nature can improve the health of Canadians. In fact, the authors of the papers have been asked to provide sample success stories in their respective fields.