The Unheeded Layers of Health Inequity: Visible Minority and Intersectionality

Health disparities among marginalized populations persist in many developed countries despite substantial population health advancements, highlighting persistent systemic inequities. Visible minorities, defined as the non-White and non-Indigenous racialized population in Canada, face earlier disease onset, worse outcomes, barriers to care, and shorter life expectancy. Conventional single-axis research frameworks, which examine factors like race, gender, or socioeconomic status in isolation, often fail to capture the complex realities of these disparities. Intersectionality theory, rooted in Black feminist thought and Critical Race Theory, offers a crucial lens for understanding how multiple systems of oppression intersect to shape health outcomes. However, its application in health research remains inconsistent, with often inadequate and tokenistic applications of this theory attributable to the limitations of a research approaches and resources, as well as biases from researchers. Integrating intersectionality with other relevant frameworks and theories in population health, such as ecosocial theory that explains how social inequalities become biologically embodied to create health inequities, strengthens the capacity to analyze health inequities comprehensively. This article advocates for thoughtful application of intersectionality in research to understand health disparities among visible minorities, urging methodological rigor, contextual awareness, and a focus on actionable interventions. By critically embedding intersectional principles into study design, researchers can move beyond describing disparities to identifying meaningful, equity-driven solutions. This approach supports a deeper, more accurate understanding of health inequities and fosters pathways toward transformative change in public health systems.