Which statement best differentiates the biomedical model from the social model in health promotion?

• A. Biomedical focuses on biological factors and medical interventions; Social focuses on environmental and policy factors.
• B. Biomedical and social are identical.
• C. Biomedical focuses on social determinants; Social focuses on laboratory research.
• D. Biomedical uses only vaccines; Social uses only education.

Answer: (A)

The key distinction is where health promotion aims its influence. The biomedical model focuses on biology, disease processes, and medical interventions to prevent or treat illness. The social model, by contrast, looks at the broader conditions that shape health—environmental factors, housing, income, education, social support, and public policy—and how those determinants can be changed to improve health outcomes. So the best statement captures that contrast: biology and medical treatments sit at the heart of the biomedical approach, while environmental and policy factors drive the social approach. The other ideas—that the two models are identical, that the social model centers on laboratory research, or that one uses vaccines exclusively while the other relies only on education—do not reflect how each model defines and targets health promotion.