Improving Social Justice in COVID-19 Health Research: Interim Guidelines for Reporting Health Equity in Observational Studies

Alba Antequera; Daeria O Lawson; Stephen G Noorduyn; Omar Dewidar; Marc Avey; Zulfiqar A Bhutta; Catherine Chamberlain; Holly Ellingwood; Damian Francis; Sarah Funnell; Elizabeth Ghogomu; Regina Greer-Smith; Tanya Horsley; Clara Juando-Prats; Janet Jull; Elizabeth Kristjansson; Julian Little; Stuart G Nicholls; Miriam Nkangu; Mark Petticrew; Gabriel Rada; Anita Rizvi; Larissa Shamseer; Melissa K Sharp; Janice Tufte; Peter Tugwell; Francisca Verdugo-Paiva; Harry Wang; Xiaoqin Wang; Lawrence Mbuagbaw; Vivian Welch

doi:10.3390/ijerph18179357

Improving Social Justice in COVID-19 Health Research: Interim Guidelines for Reporting Health Equity in Observational Studies

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 4;18(17):9357. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18179357.

Authors

Alba Antequera¹, Daeria O Lawson², Stephen G Noorduyn², Omar Dewidar³, Marc Avey⁴, Zulfiqar A Bhutta^{5

6}, Catherine Chamberlain^{7

8}, Holly Ellingwood^{9

10}, Damian Francis¹¹, Sarah Funnell^{12

13}, Elizabeth Ghogomu¹⁴, Regina Greer-Smith¹⁵, Tanya Horsley^{3

16}, Clara Juando-Prats^{17

18}, Janet Jull¹⁹, Elizabeth Kristjansson²⁰, Julian Little³, Stuart G Nicholls²¹, Miriam Nkangu³, Mark Petticrew²², Gabriel Rada^{23

24}, Anita Rizvi¹⁹, Larissa Shamseer²⁵, Melissa K Sharp²⁶, Janice Tufte²⁷, Peter Tugwell^{3

14

21}, Francisca Verdugo-Paiva^{23

24}, Harry Wang²⁸, Xiaoqin Wang²⁹, Lawrence Mbuagbaw², Vivian Welch^{3

14}

Affiliations

¹ Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain.
² Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.
³ Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z3, Canada.
⁴ Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
⁵ Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada.
⁶ Institute for Global Health & Development, The Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan.
⁷ School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia.
⁸ Ngangk Yira Research Centre for Aboriginal Health and Social Equity, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia.
⁹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada.
¹⁰ Public Safety, Ottawa, ON K1A 0P8, Canada.
¹¹ Center for Health and Social Issues, School of Health and Human Performance, Georgia College, Milledgville, GA 31061, USA.
¹² Department of Family Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3G2, Canada.
¹³ Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z3, Canada.
¹⁴ Bruyère Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 5C8, Canada.
¹⁵ Healthcare Research Associates, LLC/The S.T.A.R. Initiative, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
¹⁶ Research Unit, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1S 5N8, Canada.
¹⁷ Applied Health Research Center, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.
¹⁸ Dalla School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada.
¹⁹ Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
²⁰ Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
²¹ Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada.
²² Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
²³ Epistemonikos Foundation, Santiago 7510299, Chile.
²⁴ UC Evidence Center, Cochrane Chile Associated Center, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago Región Metropolitana, Santiago 8331150, Chile.
²⁵ Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada.
²⁶ Health Research Board Centre for Primary Care Research, Department of General Practice, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin DO2 H638, Ireland.
²⁷ Hassanah Consulting, Seattle, WA 98122, USA.
²⁸ Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada.
²⁹ Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the global imperative to address health inequities. Observational studies are a valuable source of evidence for real-world effects and impacts of implementing COVID-19 policies on the redistribution of inequities. We assembled a diverse global multi-disciplinary team to develop interim guidance for improving transparency in reporting health equity in COVID-19 observational studies. We identified 14 areas in the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) checklist that need additional detail to encourage transparent reporting of health equity. We searched for examples of COVID-19 observational studies that analysed and reported health equity analysis across one or more social determinants of health. We engaged with Indigenous stakeholders and others groups experiencing health inequities to co-produce this guidance and to bring an intersectional lens. Taking health equity and social determinants of health into account contributes to the clinical and epidemiological understanding of the disease, identifying specific needs and supporting decision-making processes. Stakeholders are encouraged to consider using this guidance on observational research to help provide evidence to close the inequitable gaps in health outcomes.

Keywords: COVID-19; guidelines; health inequities; observational studies; public health; reporting; vulnerable populations.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Health Equity*
Humans
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2
Social Justice

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding