Health services alone do not determine health. There are multiple social and economic influences on the health of northerners, including income and social status, education, employment, early childhood development, health behaviours, and impacts of both the natural environment and the built environment. For example:

• The average northern income is about half that of the provincial average.
• The cost of healthy food in the Far North is significantly higher than in the south.
• The long-term unemployment rate is four times that of the rest of the province.
• The rate of overcrowding in housing is twice that of the province.
• The percent of children living in low-income families is double the provincial rate.

The underlying determinants of health present significant challenges to achieving good health in northern Saskatchewan. This points to the importance of a population health and (w)holistic health approach.