Social epidemiology is a subfield within epidemiology and sociology that focuses on the study of the social determinants of health, examining the distribution of disease, impairment, and general health status across a population and identifying the social factors, such as socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, social networks, and neighborhood conditions, that influence health outcomes and contribute to health inequalities within and between populations. Social epidemiologists investigate how these social factors affect the risk, incidence, prevalence, and progression of diseases, as well as overall well-being, aiming to understand the underlying social mechanisms that shape health and to inform public health policies and interventions that can reduce health disparities and promote health equity.