Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Storytelling to access social context and advance health equity research
1Winston-Salem State University, 601 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr., 436 F.L. Atkins Building, USA. wallacejb@wssu.edu
Objective:
Increased understanding of individual and social determinants of health is crucial to moving toward health equity. This essay examines storytelling as a vehicle for advancing health equity research.
Method:
Contemplative examination of storytelling as a research strategy.
Results:
An overview of story theory is provided. This is followed by an examination of storytelling as a tool for increasing understanding about the contexts in which people negotiate health, strengthening participation of communities in addressing health issues, and building bridges between researchers and target populations.
Conclusion:
Storytelling can be a powerful tool for advancing health equity research. However, its effective use requires a renegotiation of relationships between researchers and target communities, as well as setting aside routine time to attend storytelling events and read a variety of stories.
Related Concept Videos
Impact of Social Context on Individuals
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Health Literacy
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention I
The health belief model (HBM) attempts to predict health-related behavior in specific belief patterns. According to the HBM, a person's...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results from...
Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...
