The Interplay Between Social Determinants of Health and Cancer Related Health Disparities

About this Research Topic

Background

Research has shown many possible risk factors for cancer initiation or cancer prognosis. In addition, topic regarding cancer related health disparities were addressed continually in cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, other prevention and control. These health disparities often reflect a greater burden among vulnerable populations (e.g., socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, under-served rural populations, racial/ethnic and sexual and gender minorities). Social determinants of health (SDH) have been found to be mostly responsible for cancer related health disparities. In addition, the influence of the interplay between different levels of SDH on cancer disparities is not well understood.

A better understanding of SDH can provide researchers and health professionals effective suggestions for reducing cancer related health disparities and promote cancer prevention and control. Examinations of single level or individual SDH are not sufficient to address cancer related health disparities as multiple factors such as organizational, community, and policy levels come into play. Factors and contexts contributing to health disparities in cancer include socio-economic status, health-care accessibility, health behaviors, and the social, economic, and cultural resources and community environments of where people live. Studies are encouraged to use multilevel approaches (e.g., social-ecological model) to examine the interplay between SDH (e.g., income, education, health knowledge and behavior, access to health care, housing, poverty, neighborhood safety, economic stability, political conditions) and cancer related health disparities.

Cancer disparities can also be seen when outcomes are improving overall, but the improvements are delayed in some groups relative to other groups. Through this Research Topic, we aim to investigate the role of social determinants in health, examines the complexities associated with them, and offer recommendations on better integration of social determinants into the cancer researches.

Understanding SDH can help researchers assess and address barriers of cancer-related disparities. Also, it can help practitioners to design trials/interventions to improve minority/under-served patients' cancer-related health. This Research Topic will emphasize its importance on reducing health disparities as described in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's 2020 Healthy People objectives.

In this Research Topic, we welcome articles reviewing and/or addressing the role of social determinants of health in cancer related health disparities to give readers an overview on updated the health disparities information for their potential use in cancer research and practice. Areas of particular interest to this Research Topic include research addressing cancer related disparities with multilevel approaches, measurable outcome and effective solutions.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Cancer Prevention and Control, Social Determinants of Health

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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