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Role of Social Determinants in Health of Vulnerable Groups
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Role of Social Determinants in Health of Vulnerable Groups

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 729

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Monideepa Bhattacharya Becerra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Population Health and Administration, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
Interests: social determinants of health; health policy; public health law
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite submissions for publication in a Special Issue focused on the social determinants of health (SDOH) and their impacts on vulnerable populations. Social, economic, and environmental factors such as income inequality, access to education, housing instability, discrimination, and healthcare access play a pivotal role in shaping health outcomes across diverse communities. These factors disproportionately affect marginalized and at-risk groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, low-income populations, rural residents, refugees, and individuals with disabilities.

This Special Issue will highlight innovative research, policies, and interventions that address the root causes of health disparities, examining how these determinants contribute to both short-term and long-term health inequities. We encourage contributions that explore a wide range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

  • The intersection of SDOH and chronic disease outcomes;
  • Health disparities in mental health, maternal and child health, and infectious diseases;
  • Structural racism, discrimination, and their impacts on health access and outcomes;
  • Community-based strategies to mitigate SDOH and promote health equity;
  • The role of law, policy, and healthcare systems in addressing health inequities;
  • Other assessments of SDOH and its impact on vulnerable groups.

We welcome original research, reviews, and policy analyses that contribute to understanding and addressing the complex relationships between social determinants and health disparities in vulnerable groups.

Dr. Monideepa Bhattacharya Becerra
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • health disparities
  • health equity
  • structural racism
  • health policy
  • chronic disease
  • infectious disease
  • discrimination and health
  • community-based interventions
  • socioeconomic inequality

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 248 KB  
Article
Food Security Among South Asian Americans: The Role of Availability, Affordability, and Quality of Culturally Appropriate Food
by Monideepa B. Becerra, Farhan Danish and Valentina Chawdhury
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(8), 1169; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22081169 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 377
Abstract
Background: South Asian Americans (SAA) are one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the U.S. and face significant health disparities, particularly regarding chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Dietary patterns play a crucial role in these disparities, with acculturation to Western [...] Read more.
Background: South Asian Americans (SAA) are one of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in the U.S. and face significant health disparities, particularly regarding chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Dietary patterns play a crucial role in these disparities, with acculturation to Western diets linked to poorer health outcomes. Despite this, the impact of food insecurity on dietary habits among SAAs remains underexplored. This study aims to examine the availability, cost, and quality of ethnic food items and how food insecurity influences dietary practices in Southern California’s SAA population. Methods: The study was conducted in San Bernardino County, California, with field data collection focused on five South Asian ethnicity-specific grocery stores and three Western grocery stores. We assessed the availability and cost of key ingredients for commonly prepared SAA dishes. Additionally, focus group interviews were held with South Asian immigrants to understand food insecurity challenges and dietary adaptations. Results: The study found significant disparities in food availability and cost between SAA-ethnic grocery stores and Western stores. SAA stores were less accessible and more widely dispersed, with an average distance of 10 miles between them. While ingredients like ginger paste and cumin powder were available in both types of stores, items such as ghee, fenugreek seeds, and black gram were harder to find in Western stores. Focus group participants noted that ethnic foods, especially vegetarian ingredients, were more expensive than Western alternatives, leading many to substitute traditional meals with cheaper, less nutritious options. Participants also raised concerns about the poor quality of items in ethnic stores, such as expired produce, which further limited their food choices. Conclusions: Food insecurity, driven by limited availability, high cost, and poor quality of ethnic foods, poses significant challenges to the SAA community’s diet and health. Addressing these barriers could improve food security and health outcomes among SAA immigrants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Social Determinants in Health of Vulnerable Groups)
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