Conceptual Approaches to Health Equity

Understanding and addressing health disparities in all of their complexity and promoting health equity requires applying a multidimensional research lens with studies grounded in theoretical frameworks appropriate to addressing questions of health disparities, health (in)equity, health inequalities, and minority health. This course will provide participants with a combined overview of the levels and domains of influence associated with the social determinants of health that contribute to health outcome differences between groups. Case exemplars will be drawn from current designated health disparity populations by the United States’ Office of Management and Budget–defined racial/ethnic minorities, socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, underserved rural populations, and sexual and gender minorities (which include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender-nonbinary or gender-nonconforming individuals). The role of the health and social care workforces in mitigating and perpetuating these disparities will also be reviewed. Participants will learn how to integrate concepts associated with the social determinants of health into their research designs and select appropriate theoretical frameworks to structure their studies. Skill development will focus on learning how to conduct multilevel research capable of producing studies that produce more complete research knowledge reflective of the cumulative or interactive effects of multiple determinants of health.