Better integration of social determinants in child health promotion in France

Résumé 0

Children’s health is a key indicator of the overall health of the population. In France, the health indicators available for the perinatal period and childhood show that social inequalities in health are formed during pregnancy and persist throughout childhood. These inequalities are the result of a complex combination of different health determinants (structural and intermediary) via the influence of biological and socio-ecological mechanisms that are now increasingly well understood. To reduce these inequalities, it is essential to intervene early in the lives of children and their parents. Current knowledge argues in favor of cross-sectoral action strategies, in particular to meet the need for a stable, receptive relational environment to ensure emotional and relational security. It is also important to support interventions that enable children to become actors in their own health. Finally, acting on the social determinants of inequality, by improving families’ living conditions, is a powerful lever for the development, health, and well-being of children and their families.