Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

There is a paucity of literature regarding the history of the social determinants of health (SDOH) in Canada prior to the introduction of the 1974 Lalonde Report. This project attempts to fill this gap via an in-depth socio-historical analysis of the Canadian Public Health Association's (CPHA) archival materials. This project examines the history of the SDOH in Canada by analyzing CPHA's archival materials from 1910 to 2010. Specifically, it is concerned with identifying key historical figures (e.g., promoters and detractors), exploring perceived barriers and facilitators to action on the SDOH, and identifying prominent points of emphasis and contention in this history. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of CPHA's archival materials (onsite and at the Library and Archives Canada), which included annual reports, meeting minutes, resolutions and briefings. We found that while new in name, the SDOH have remained at the heart of CPHA's activities since its earliest decades. This includes CPHA's longstanding concern with improving the living conditions of Canadians understood to be detrimental to health (e.g., housing, poverty, employment). While this work is currently in progress, at the time of presentation key historical milestones specific to the SDOH will have been discerned.There is much to be learned from the CPHA's longstanding history (est. 1910) as a non-governmental organization committed to improving the health of Canadians. Using its archives, this project will present the unheard histories of the SDOH, its key figures, events, and circumstances.