Identify the determinant of health in each of the following statements as modifiable determinant (MD), nonmodifiable determinant (ND), social determinant (SD), healthcare (HC), or policymaking (PM).
a) _____ President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACT) into law on 23rd March 2010.
b) _____ Most malaria cases worldwide are seen in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South America, and SE Asia.
c) _____ Back pain is more common among individuals who are obese and have a sedentary lifestyle.
d) _____ A person visits their family doctor every year for a comprehensive health screening.
e) _____ Alzheimer’s is most commonly seen in individuals who are 65 or older.

• A. a) HCb) SDc) MDd) PMe) ND
• B. a) HCb) NDc) SDd) PMe) MD
• C. a) PMb) SDc) MDd) HCe) ND
• D. a) PMb) NDc) SDd) HCe) MD

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the categories of determinants of health. These include: Modifiable Determinants (MD) - factors that can be changed or influenced by individual behavior (e.g., diet, exercise); Nonmodifiable Determinants (ND) - factors that cannot be changed (e.g., age, genetics); Social Determinants (SD) - conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age (e.g., socioeconomic status, geography); Healthcare (HC) - access to and quality of medical services; and Policymaking (PM) - laws and regulations that impact health.
2. Step 2: Analyze each statement and identify the determinant of health it represents. For example, in statement (a), the signing of the Affordable Care Act is a policy decision, so it falls under Policymaking (PM).
3. Step 3: For statement (b), consider the geographic distribution of malaria cases. This is influenced by social and environmental conditions, making it a Social Determinant (SD).
4. Step 4: In statement (c), back pain linked to obesity and a sedentary lifestyle involves factors that can be modified through behavior changes, so it is a Modifiable Determinant (MD).
5. Step 5: Continue analyzing the remaining statements: (d) refers to regular health screenings, which are part of Healthcare (HC), and (e) involves age-related risk for Alzheimer’s, which is a Nonmodifiable Determinant (ND).