Model of Social Determinants as the Basis for Multilevel Methodology in Health Studies

In the present article the relevance of the multilevel approach in health is studied. The analysis of the model of social determinants of health serves as the methodology basis of the research. The model of the social determinants of health reveals the nature of social impacts on physical, mental and social wellbeing of an individual, considering the hierarchy of these impacts on health on both societal and individual levels. The model comprises three key blocks: a social-political context, structural determinants, generating social stratification, and individual characteristics of the population. Such an approach to understanding the influence of various factors on health requires the application of the multilevel methodology, as of one of the most thorough and prospective research designs in studying health determinants.