What is a contributing factor?

• A. A protective factor that reduces risk.
• B. A non-biological determinant.
• C. A risk factor (causative factor) associated with the presence/level of a determinant.
• D. A hospital policy.

Answer: (C)

Contributing factors are those elements that help explain why a determinant exists or how strong it is, and they’re seen as risk factors linked to the presence or level of that determinant. So, describing a contributing factor as a risk factor associated with the presence or level of a determinant fits the idea that these factors help shape the magnitude or presence of the determinants that drive health outcomes.

Think of determinants as the bigger factors that influence health, like socioeconomic conditions, environment, or biology. A contributing factor is one of the pieces that tends to co-occur with or elevate that determinant, helping to explain why it’s present at a certain level. That’s why this option is the best choice.

In contrast, a protective factor reduces risk rather than contributing to the determinant’s level; a non-biological determinant is only part of the picture and doesn’t define the general role of contributing factors; and a hospital policy is a specific intervention or rule, not the broader concept of how factors contribute to determinants.