ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the definition, origins and dimensions of social determinants of health, and illuminates the alignment and application of Department of Defense peak health strategies and goals with the US Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2020 framework. The biopsychosocial model provides an organizing construct for examining the social determinants of health in the military context. Using a biopsychosocial construct applied to military sexual trauma and sexual trauma pre-enlistment provides a rich example to illustrate the potential for consequential effects for both active duty and veteran women across all dimensions – biological, psychological and social. The chapter elucidates institutional and cultural barriers that are hostile to women in achieving peak health, and projects a vision for overcoming barriers to health equality for women across the military service continuum. It highlights the importance of access to healthcare for women veterans given the associated mental health issues at play.
