Introduction:

the social determinants of health have gained significance and importance over the past half century as the World Health Organization has identified health as determined by the conditions in which people are born, grow up, live and work.

Objective:

to characterize the state of the social determinants that have the greatest impact on under-five mortality in patients who have died in this institution.

Methods:

a qualitative and quantitative study was carried out on the deaths of children under five years of age at the José Luis Miranda Hospital during the period January 2016 to December 2018. The study variable was operationalized in structural indicators (socioeconomic level, schooling and place of residence), individual (skin color) and health system (accessibility, timely and adequate therapy and cause of death). Age and sex were included as population descriptors due to their interest.

Results:

the highest incidence (41.5%) was found in the age group between one and four years old, with a predominance of males (58.4%); a medium socioeconomic level (66.1%) and a rural origin (64.15%). Accessibility to the health system was regular (52.8%) and the main cause of death was infectious diseases (30.1%).

Conclusions:

there are important reservations about improving health indicators for the under-five population in Villa Clara Province when institutional management takes into account the state of the social determinants of health.

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