Article type
Abstract
"Background: The use of the term ""racial health equity"" has significantly risen in academic literature since 2020, although a unifying definition is lacking. There is a need for a clear definition of racial health equity to prevent misunderstandings, promote a shared language across fields, and lead to the establishment of metrics that could affect resource allocation. Thus, we conducted a review of current understandings of the term.
Objectives: This study aimed to systematically review how ""racial health equity"" and related concepts are defined within theoretical and conceptual academic articles.
Methods: We included English-language articles, imposing no date restrictions, to evaluate the definitions of racial health equity and its related terms, including “racial health inequity,” and “racial health disparities.” A thematic analysis was conducted on all included definitions using the 2006 Braun and Clark framework. Patient and healthcare interest holders were involved in the initial design of this project as well as its parent project, “Centering racial health equity in systematic reviews” (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation #79982).
Results: From 1,816 articles retrieved, 16 contained pertinent definitions, with a notable increase in publications from 2020 to 2023. The analysis revealed varied themes in these definitions, particularly racism, healthcare quality, discrimination, and social determinants of health. Other themes included social hierarchy, justice, unmet social needs, and historical events. Nine included articles acknowledged race as a social construct. The foundational literature to support the included definitions varied, with only the 2003 report ""Unequal Treatment"" being cited across multiple definitions.
Conclusions: Our findings highlight a loose consensus on key themes such as racism, healthcare quality, and social determinants of health, although no word-for-word definitions were shared across sources. To advance equity efforts, this study underscores the necessity for ongoing dialogue to refine the understanding of racial health equity. We advocate for establishing a unified and actionable definition to guide health fields toward a common goal.
"
Objectives: This study aimed to systematically review how ""racial health equity"" and related concepts are defined within theoretical and conceptual academic articles.
Methods: We included English-language articles, imposing no date restrictions, to evaluate the definitions of racial health equity and its related terms, including “racial health inequity,” and “racial health disparities.” A thematic analysis was conducted on all included definitions using the 2006 Braun and Clark framework. Patient and healthcare interest holders were involved in the initial design of this project as well as its parent project, “Centering racial health equity in systematic reviews” (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation #79982).
Results: From 1,816 articles retrieved, 16 contained pertinent definitions, with a notable increase in publications from 2020 to 2023. The analysis revealed varied themes in these definitions, particularly racism, healthcare quality, discrimination, and social determinants of health. Other themes included social hierarchy, justice, unmet social needs, and historical events. Nine included articles acknowledged race as a social construct. The foundational literature to support the included definitions varied, with only the 2003 report ""Unequal Treatment"" being cited across multiple definitions.
Conclusions: Our findings highlight a loose consensus on key themes such as racism, healthcare quality, and social determinants of health, although no word-for-word definitions were shared across sources. To advance equity efforts, this study underscores the necessity for ongoing dialogue to refine the understanding of racial health equity. We advocate for establishing a unified and actionable definition to guide health fields toward a common goal.
"