Broader societal factors that impact health

Editorial in the October issue of JBI Evidence Synthesis underscores the imperative of integrating health equity education into health science programs to help address health disparities. Health disparities are shown to lead to chronic diseases, premature deaths, economic burdens, and reduced productivity.  

Traditionally, health science programs have prioritised learning objectives and cultural competency, overlooking the underlying causes of these disparities. However, recent shifts in healthcare systems now emphasise factors influencing population health, such as health disparities and systemic inequalities and the need to include health equity training in the education of health science students.  

As the economic toll of health disparities continues to increase, we can no longer delay in teaching the skills to students/trainees to identify the drivers of these disparities, and to develop innovative methods to address health inequities globally. 

Training to identify and address health inequities can take place in various settings, including classrooms, clinical environments, and communities, with the goal of accelerating evidence-based interventions to reduce health inequities. 

The concept of structural determinants of health, including social, economic, and political factors leading to class-based disparities, is gaining prominence. Health science programs worldwide are expanding their curricula to help students comprehend the root causes of health inequities across racial, gender, socioeconomic, and geographic lines by incorporating structural competency education. 

In addition to understanding how structural factors affect health, students must also learn how to address these issues and implement interventions to enhance population health. Stigma, discrimination, and the use of technology, such as electronic health records (EHRs), can contribute to health inequities. Faculty must equip students to discuss these issues and recognise how bias and systemic racism can influence health outcomes. 

There should be a sense of urgency for educators, students, clinicians, and policymakers to join JBI, Cochrane, and other global leaders in evidence-based health care to use those skills and expertise to generate new evidence and inform ways of embedding equity in health care, which is particularly relevant to this year’s World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day 2023 theme of evidence and global health equity. 

An editorial in motion accompanies this paper, and summarises key points. 

The editorial is available in the October issue of JBI Evidence Synthesis: 
Ensuring trainees are prepared to address broader societal factors that impact health 

Gholar, Victoria M.; Taylor, Juanyce 

JBI Evidence Synthesis 21(10):p 1910-1911, October 2023. | DOI: 10.11124/JBIES-23-00427