According the World Health Organisation, determinants can be positive or negative and they are often referred to as protective or risk factors. Risk factors can increase a person’s chance for negative or socially undesirable outcomes (such as the tendency to violence, drug use, increase the chance of obtaining various kinds of diseases, etc.) Protective factors enhance the likelihood of positive outcomes and lessen the likelihood of negative consequences from exposure to risk. During childhood risk can be changed or prevented with school, family and community interventions.
