Addressing Health Inequities Among Underserved and Minority Populations Through Cognitive Justice: A Focus on Social Determinants of Health
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 792
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Despite numerous advances in medical care and growing healthcare expenditures, health inequities persist. Structural factors rooted in racism, sexism, classism, and other discriminatory systems have disproportionate impacts on underserved and minority populations’ living conditions and restrict their access to resources [1,2]. There is a need for socially relevant research that aligns with the needs of these populations and recognizes the value of their lived experiences, including action-based research on the social determinants of health (SDOH) that acknowledge their association with real-world challenges. Collaborative research partnerships with marginalized communities should integrate cognitive justice to center the perspectives and experiences of marginalized groups [3,4]. To combat social inequalities in the healthcare sector, it is necessary to form an alliance between the epistemologies of the North and South [5]. Research that bridges gaps between traditional healing practices and Western-centric biomedical practices will help to dismantle systemic inequities and ensure that health interventions are just, transformative, and contextually relevant.
This Special Issue will encompass a selection of papers that apply cognitive justice to address SDOH—and their intersections—and thus improve health outcomes (e.g., sleep, oral health, and mental health) among underserved and minority populations (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities, the LBGTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and rural and immigrant populations). Submissions that employ advanced methodologies and innovative approaches are of particular interest. We are seeking actionable solutions grounded in equity, inclusivity, and the co-creation of knowledge with marginalized communities.
References
- Zenk, S.N.; Simoni, J.M.; Pérez-Stable, E.J. Prioritizing Research on Social Determinants of Health—“Yes, and…”. JAMA Intern. Med. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.6391.
- Fricker, M.; Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing; Oxford University Press: New York, USA, 2007; Prejudice in the Credibility Economy; pp. 30–59.
- de Andrés, E. Promoting socio-spatial and cognitive justice through critical pedagogies. Plan. Theory 2023, 23, 300–323, https://doi.org/10.1177/14730952231214277.
- Damus, O. Regenerative and restorative pedagogy: The foundation of a new contract for cognitive justice. PROSPECTS 2024, 54, 441–449, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-024-09683-y.
- Damus, O. 2020. Les futurs de l’éducation au carrefour des épistémologies du Nord et du Sud. Document commandépour le rapport de l’initiative Les futurs de l’éducation de l’UNESCO (à venir, 2021). Available online: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374047.locale=en (accessed on 22 December 2024).
Dr. Marie Rachelle Narcisse
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- social determinants of health
- disparities in sleep health
- disparities in oral health
- disparities in mental health
- cognitive justice
- underserved and minority populations
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