Thinking Habits Determine Possibilities for Equity: Results of a Critically Reflective Dialogue Study

Since the Commission on Social Determinants of Health named the distribution of power, resources, and money as causes of health inequities, gaps between knowledge and action have remained tenaciously wide. This critically reflective inquiry was informed by previous work which revealed incoherencies between evidence and action aimed at reducing health inequities. Drawing on the expertise of seventeen thought leaders in knowledge translation and health equity, this study involved a series of dialogues deeply exploring practices for overcoming this gap. Results point to the importance of cultivating equity 'attunement' as a central promising practice, enabled by four intentional thinking habits, including thinking relationally, reflexively, responsively, and tenaciously. These habits underpin the possibility of coherence between evidence and practice or policy in global and public health, making them determinants of equity action. Thinking habits are pivotal, mutually reinforcing, learned, and intentional practices that carry direct implications for capacity building, teaching, research, and policy. Importantly, at a moment when the world navigates a polarized, anti-equity political climate, this research offers an invitation for individuals, groups and institutions to embrace agency in shaping our futures.