Exploring the landscape of social epidemiologic research: a scoping review of AJE publications

As social epidemiology is a growing interdisciplinary field with a broad scope, this scoping review investigated its current landscape based on articles published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Among 1194 extracted records between 2013 and 2022 submitted under the "social" category, we identified 178 accepted articles that had a social factor as a primary exposure. We categorized social exposures into 9 major domains and health outcomes into 8 domains. Study design, population, and authorship were also analyzed. Our findings indicate that social epi studies reflect a range of social exposures, including socioeconomic position (37%); neighborhood and built environment (20%); race, racism, and discrimination (16%); and policy and social welfare (12%). The most frequently studied health outcomes were noncommunicable diseases and chronic conditions (42%), mental health (14%), and maternal and child health outcomes (11%). Most studies had quantitative observational designs and focused on high-income countries, particularly the US contexts. Most authors appeared only once, suggesting a range of voices as contributors. Findings suggest that, to enhance knowledge, social epi could benefit from a greater representation of social factors beyond tangible resources, a broader range of health outcomes, study designs and populations, and low- and middle-income countries.