Citation

Matsui EC, Perry TT, Adamson AS. Pediatrics 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Academy of Pediatrics)

DOI

10.1542/peds.2020-018572

PMID

33214328

Abstract

Striking racial and ethnic disparities in childhood health conditions, such as prematurity, obesity, and asthma, have persisted despite decades of research focused on reducing these disparities. Although major advances in the treatment of chronic health conditions are difficult to achieve, an understanding of the underlying biology of disease has led to breakthroughs in the treatment of common childhood diseases such as asthma. It is notable, however, that despite the successes of biology-focused research, racial and ethnic disparities persist across many pediatric health conditions, suggesting that an exclusive focus on biology is a failed strategy for reducing these disparities. To make meaningful progress in improving minority health and disparities, the biomedical framework of health sciences must be recast so that it explicitly incorporates social context,1 which includes factors such as socioeconomic status, environmental exposures, access to high quality health care, and racism. Because the pediatric field has long understood that contextual factors have profound effects on health, it is best positioned to lead this recasting of health disparities research.

Language: en