ijerph-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Inequities in Health and Well-Being

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 2026 | Viewed by 1456

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group (LRiG), Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GB, UK
Interests: evidence synthesis; health equity; social prescribing; self-management; ethnicity

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
Interests: health equity; tobacco control; evidence synthesis; diabetes; health behaviors; health policy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The historical origins of health equity research can be traced back to the early 1800s and are embedded in the development of public health. Despite this, health inequities continue to pose a significant public health concern, with over two-thirds of the world's population living in countries in which disparities have increased over the last 25 years. The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated existing health inequities and created new ones, particularly in access to healthcare, digital exclusion, and the disproportionate impact on certain at-risk groups. Understanding and addressing health inequity is widely acknowledged as a global health research priority.

Research on health equity has been shaped by multiple disciplines and varying methodological approaches, and as such, the scope of this special edition is intentionally broad. In addition to welcoming research aiming to better understand or address inequities in health and well-being, we are also interested in including health equity methodological research (e.g., frameworks or theory development) to support the advancement of research in this field. We will consider all quantitative or qualitative research study designs to include evidence synthesis reviews, intervention studies, observational studies, consensus method studies, qualitative interview studies, or surveys.

Dr. Ffion Curtis
Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 inequality
  • health inequity
  • health disparities
  • public health
  • healthcare
  • health policy
  • research methods

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

20 pages, 1139 KB  
Review
Diversity and Representation in Cardiovascular Research: Evidence Gaps, Emerging Models, and Policy Implications
by Simran Grewal, James Wildish, Catherine Chalmers, Christine Dedding, Jeanine Suurmond, Charles Agyemang and Nimrat Grewal
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(2), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23020241 - 14 Feb 2026
Viewed by 943
Abstract
Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality globally, it remains insufficiently understood in large parts of the world. The scientific foundations underpinning CVD risk prediction, diagnostics, and treatment are extensively derived from homogenous datasets, primarily including White, male participants from [...] Read more.
Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality globally, it remains insufficiently understood in large parts of the world. The scientific foundations underpinning CVD risk prediction, diagnostics, and treatment are extensively derived from homogenous datasets, primarily including White, male participants from high-income countries. This lack of diversity and inclusion can lead to biased evidence, which in turn contributes to reduced diagnostic accuracy and the under-representation of key populations, and ultimately limits the generalizability of trial results and guidelines. In this paper, we discuss that diversity in cardiovascular data is a scientific necessity for valid and globally applicable knowledge and not just a matter of fairness. Drawing from emerging initiatives in genomics, digital health, and participatory research, we propose a global roadmap to reshape how cardiovascular research is conducted. This includes strategies such as data donation frameworks, inclusive biobanking, equitable AI development, and international policy change. Only by integrating diversity into scientific methodologies can we ensure that cardiovascular guidelines are effective, inclusive, and just. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inequities in Health and Well-Being)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop