Motivations for investigating health inequities in observational epidemiology : a content analysis of 320 studies
Dewidar, Omar (University of Ottawa)
McHale, Georgia (University of Ottawa)
Al Zubaidi, Ali (University of Ottawa)
Bondok, Mostafa (University of Ottawa)
Abdelrazeq, Leenah (University of Ottawa)
Huang, Jimmy (University of Ottawa)
Jearvis, Alyssa (University of Ottawa)
Aliyeva, Khadija (University of Ottawa)
Alghamyan, Amjad (University of Ottawa)
Jahel, Fatima (University of Ottawa)
Greer-Smith, Regina (Healthcare Research Associates)
Tufte, Janice (Hassanah Consulting)
Barker, Lucy C (University of Toronto)
Elmestekawy, Nour (University of Ottawa)
Sharp, Melissa K (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland)
Horsley, Tanya (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada)
Prats, Clara Juandro (University of Toronto)
Jull, Janet (Queen's University at Kingston)
Wolfenden, Luke (The University of Newcastle)
Cuervo, L.G (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Pediatria, Obstetrícia i Ginecologia i de Medicina Preventiva i Salut Pública)
Hardy, Billie-Jo (University of Toronto)
Roberts, Janet Hatchet (WHO Collaborating Centre for Knowledge Translation and Health Technology Assessment in Health Equity)
Ghogomu, Elizabeth (University of Ottawa)
Obuku, Ekwaro (Makerere University College of Health Sciences)
Owusu-Addo, Ebenezer (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)
Nicholls, Stuart G (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute)
Mbuagbaw, Lawrence (McMaster University (Canadà))
Funnell, Sarah (Queen's University at Kingston)
Shea, Bev (Ottawa Hospital Research Institute)
Rizvi, Anita (University of Ottawa)
Tugwell, Peter (University of Ottawa)
Bhutta, Zulfiqar (University of Toronto)
Welch, Vivian (University of Ottawa)
Melendez-Torres, G J (University of Exeter)

Date:	2024
Abstract:	OBJECTIVES: To enhance equity in clinical and epidemiological research, it is crucial to understand researcher motivations for conducting equity-relevant studies. Therefore, we evaluated author motivations in a randomly selected sample of equity-relevant observational studies published during the COVID-19 pandemic. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We searched MEDLINE for studies from 2020 to 2022, resulting in 16,828 references. We randomly selected 320 studies purposefully sampled across income setting (high vs low-middle-income), COVID-19 topic (vs non-COVID-19), and focus on populations experiencing inequities. Of those, 206 explicitly mentioned motivations which we analyzed thematically. We used discourse analysis to investigate the reasons behind emerging motivations. RESULTS: We identified the following motivations: (1) examining health disparities, (2) tackling social determinants to improve access, and (3) addressing knowledge gaps in health equity. Discourse analysis showed motivations stem from commitments to social justice and recognizing the importance of highlighting it in research. Other discourses included aspiring to improve health-care efficiency, wanting to understand cause-effect relationships, and seeking to contribute to an equitable evidence base. CONCLUSION: Understanding researchers' motivations for assessing health equity can aid in developing guidance that tailors to their needs. We will consider these motivations in developing and sharing equity guidance to better meet researchers' needs.
Note:	Altres ajuts: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (173269)
Rights:	Aquest material està protegit per drets d'autor i/o drets afins. Podeu utilitzar aquest material en funció del que permet la legislació de drets d'autor i drets afins d'aplicació al vostre cas. Per a d'altres usos heu d'obtenir permís del(s) titular(s) de drets.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió de l'autor
Subject:	Discourse ; Equity ; Motivation ; Observational studies ; Qualitative study design ; Reporting guidelines ; Themes
Related work:	Dewidar, Omar; McHale, Georgia; Al Zubaidi, Ali; [et al.]. «Motivations for investigating health inequities in observational epidemiology : a content analysis of 320 studies». Journal of clinical epidemiology, Vol. 168 (April 2024). DOI 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2024.111283 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2024.111283

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4635346
PMID: 38369078

Preprint 17 p, 722.7 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > Preprints