Use of Intersectionality Theory in Interventional Health Research in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity Research
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• Intersectionality theory emphasizes analyzing multiple axes of inequality simultaneously.
• Previous research has not systematically examined the application of intersectionality in health intervention studies.
• This review maps the use of intersectionality in designing, implementing, and analyzing public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and map the utilization of intersectionality in interventional health research.
• To explore how intersectionality is applied in the design and analysis of public health interventions.
• To identify gaps and areas for advancement in applying intersectionality within health interventions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic searches of Medline and Scopus databases were conducted up to June 2021.
• Key search terms included "intersectionality", "interventions", and "public health".
• Studies using intersectionality with primary data from high-income countries were included and synthesized.

Main Results:

• Out of 2108 screened studies, 12 were included, focusing on areas like mental health, substance abuse, and smoking cessation.
• Intersectionality was primarily used for analyzing intervention effects (8 studies) and secondarily for design (3 studies).
• Ethnicity and gender were common axes, while LGBTQ+ and physical disability were sparsely considered; mental health interventions showed more intersectional application.

Conclusions:

• Intersectionality is not yet widely adopted in interventional health research for design or analysis.
• Studies focusing on LGBTQ+ and physical disability as intersecting inequalities are notably scarce.
• Further theoretical and methodological development is crucial to enhance the integration of intersectionality in health intervention research.