The following is a summary of “Health Disparities Research: What Every Pediatric Surgeon Should Know,” published in the July 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Cockrell et al.

Health disparities research in the United States began as early as 1899 but was formally established in the late 20th century. Initially centered on race and ethnicity, the scope of the field has since expanded to encompass socioeconomic status. Various tools have been developed to measure socioeconomic disadvantage, such as the Social Vulnerability Index, Area Deprivation Index, and Child Opportunity Index. 

These indices have been validated and show a significant correlation with health outcomes. Nonetheless, socioeconomic status alone cannot fully account for the health inequities faced by individuals of minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds. The field of health disparities research has evolved through three distinct phases: identifying disparities, analyzing their root causes, and developing interventions to address them. 

Although there has been a notable increase in publications related to health disparities, research focused on third-generation interventions still needs to be made available. It is crucial for the field to progress beyond merely identifying and analyzing disparities and to focus on implementing effective interventions to reduce health inequities.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022346824004329