Social Determinants of Health and Health Disparities

Social determinants of health are the social, political, economic and cultural conditions that structure health. These conditions shape the circumstances in which people live and work and perpetuate health inequalities.  Research in this area focuses on addressing root causes of poor health to advance health equity.

Related Faculty

Dr. Nolan Kline
Dr. Uyen-Sa Nguyen
Dr. Malinee Neelamegam
Dr. Erika Thompson

Faculty Publications:

• Ahmad, A., Neelamegam, M., & Rajasuriar, R. (2020). Ageing with HIV: health implications and evolving care needs. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 23(9). https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25621
• Estapé, T., Carrion, I. V., Estapé, J., & Neelamegam, M. (2020). Exploring the knowledge and attitudes about cancer of older adults in Barcelona, Spain. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice, 2(1), e16. https://doi.org/10.1097/OR9.0000000000000016
• Kline, N., Webb, N. J., Thompson, E. L., Griner, S. B., & Schrimshaw, E. W. (2022). Latinx COVID-19 Disparities and Work As a Social Determinant of Health: A Research and Policy Agenda. Population Health Management, 25(2), 284-287. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/pop.2021.0368
• Kline, N., & Quiroga, M. A. (2021). Organizing for Black Lives and Funding COVID-19 Relief: Community Responses to Systemic Racism and Imagining Public Health 4.0. American Journal of Public Health, 111(S3), S201-S203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306408)
• Kline, N. (2017). Pathogenic policy: Immigrant policing, fear, and parallel medical systems in the US South. Medical anthropology, 36(4), 396-410. DOI: org/10.1080/01459740.2016.1259621
• Maness, S.B., Merrell, L.K., Thompson, E.L, Griner, S.B., Kline, N.S. & Wheldon C.W. (2021). Social determinants and health disparities: Commentary on influence of COVID-19 exposures and mortality among African Americans in the United States. Public Health Reports, 136(1):18-22. doi: 10.1177/0033354920969169.
• Seguin-Fowler, R.A., Amos, C., Beech, B.M., Ferrer, R.L., McNeill, L., Opusunju, J.J., Spence, E.E., Thompson, E.L., Torres-Hostos, L.R., Vishwanatha, J.K., and Texas CEAL Consortium Members. (2022). The Texas Community Engagement Research Alliance Against COVID-19 in disproportionately affected communities (TX CEAL) Consortium. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, [Epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1017/cts.2022.395.
• Thompson, E.L., Rosen, B.L. & Maness, S.B., (2019). Social determinants of health and human papillomavirus vaccination among young adults, National Health Interview Survey 2016. Journal of Community Health, 44(1):149-158. PMID: 30120681.
• Gonzalez A, Nguyen US, Franklin P, Barea C, Hannouche D, Lübbeke A. 1-year trajectories of patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty: Patient reported outcomes and resource needs according to education level. BMC Musculoskelet Disord23, 84 (2022). org/10.1186/s12891-022-05004-6.
• Bhuiyan MTH, Khan IM, Jony SSR, Robinson R, Nguyen USDT, Keellings DJ, Rahman MS, Haque U. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 among undocumented immigrants and ethnic minorities in the US. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021; 18(23). doi:10.3390/ijerph182312708.