In 2014 both the Institute of Medicine and the National Quality Forum recommended the inclusion of social determinants of health data in electronic health records (EHRs). Both entities primarily focus on collecting socioeconomic and health behavior data directly from individual patients. The burden of reliably, accurately, and consistently collecting such information is substantial, and it may ...

Relying on time-series and cross-sectional data, this paper investigates the effect of economic forces and cultural norms on fertility variations across and within Arab countries. This is accomplished by reviewing cross-country fertility trends at the aggregate level using a random-effect model applied to panel data covering 11 Arab countries. Estimates of cross-country fertility determin...

BACKGROUND It is desirable that health researchers have the ability to conduct research on health equity and contribute to the development of their national health system and policymaking processes. However, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a limited capacity to conduct this type of research due to reasons mostly associated with the status of national (health) research syst...

BACKGROUND Many studies have been conducted in Iran in order to investigate the status of social determinants of health (SDH) and their associations with health indicators. This study aimed to review the Iranian studies conducted on SDH. METHODS A systematic review of all Iranian Persian and English languages articles published between 2005 and 2014 on the SDH was conducted using the search o...

BACKGROUND An important health issue in urban areas is how changes arising from the regeneration of city-areas affect social determinants of health and equity. This paper examines the impacts attributable to a new fish market and to delays in the regeneration of a port area in a deteriorated region of the Bay of Pasaia (Spain). Potential differential impacts on local residents and socially vuln...

INTRODUCTION We developed screening criteria to identify population health interventions with an equity focus for inclusion on the Public Health Agency of Canada's Canadian Best Practices Portal. We applied them to the area of "healthy weights," specifically, obesity prevention. METHODS We conducted a review of the literature and obtained input from expert external reviewers on changes to mid...

The Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health (CRCAIH) was established in September 2012 as a unifying structure to bring together tribal communities and health researchers across South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota to address American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) health disparities. CRCAIH is based on the core values of transdisciplinary research, sustainability and tribal ...

BACKGROUND Failure to address social determinants of health (SDH) may contribute to the problem of readmissions in high-risk individuals. Comprehensive shared care plans (CSCP) may improve care continuity and health outcomes by communicating SDH risk factors across settings. PURPOSE The purpose of this study to evaluate the state of knowledge for integrating SDH into a CSCP. Our scoping revie...

Many of the societal level factors that affect health - the 'social determinants of health (SDH)' - exist outside the health sector, across diverse portfolios of government, and other major institutions including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector. This has created growing interest in how to create and implement public policies which will drive better and fairer health...

In this paper we argue the importance of including gender and sexually diverse populations in policy development towards a more inclusive form of health promotion. We emphasize the need to address the broad health and wellbeing issues and needs of LGBT people, rather than exclusively using an illness-based focus such as HIV/AIDS. We critically examine the limitations of population health, the s...