The health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is affected by a complex interaction of environmental factors, behaviours, biological factors and the social and cultural context that shapes their lives. These factors are called the ‘determinants of health’, and they can be barriers or enablers to health and wellbeing. The determinants of health include:

• environmental health: water, healthy housing, healthy living practices, healthy communities, environmentally-based diseases, animal and pest management, caring for Country, emergency management, and climate change and adaptation
• social and cultural determinants: education, employment and economic development, home ownership, tenancy and homelessness, and cultural and historical factors like racism, discrimination and colonialism
• community capacity: strong communities, family safety, child protection, justice, governance, transport and digital services
• health behaviours: healthy eating, physical activity, smoking and immunisation.