Guiding principles for accelerating change through health inequities research and practice: A modified Delphi...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Health Policy

Background:

• Health and social inequities remain a persistent challenge, often exacerbated by institutional practices and ideologies rather than solely passive conditions.
• Addressing these inequities requires critical reform in research, policy, and practice to dismantle entrenched systems and drive systemic change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a consensus on guiding principles for a Health and Social Equity Collective.
• To inform inclusive and translational knowledge bases, enhance research practices, and center community perspectives in addressing health inequities.

Main Methods:

• A modified Delphi consensus process was employed between March and September 2022.
• Online workshops and surveys were used with members of the Collective and their networks to refine 24 consensus statements.

Main Results:

• Eleven key principles for working towards health and social equity were agreed upon by a majority of respondents.
• These principles fall into three main themes: knowledge and framing of inequities, community engagement and peer research, and organizational culture change.
• Prioritization varied, with two principles rated high priority by over 75% of respondents.

Conclusions:

• The identified principles provide a foundation for future consensus-building initiatives focused on health and social equity.
• These principles emphasize the need for inclusive research, robust community engagement, and transformative organizational culture.
• Iterative updates based on ongoing learning from national and international health equity initiatives are recommended.