Examining Social Determinants of Health, Stigma, and COVID-19 Disparities

Jocelyn Turner-Musa; Oluwatoyin Ajayi; Layschel Kemp

doi:10.3390/healthcare8020168

Examining Social Determinants of Health, Stigma, and COVID-19 Disparities

Healthcare (Basel). 2020 Jun 12;8(2):168. doi: 10.3390/healthcare8020168.

Authors

Jocelyn Turner-Musa^{1

2}, Oluwatoyin Ajayi^{2

3}, Layschel Kemp^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA.
² ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA.
³ School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA.

Abstract

There is growing attention to disparities in the incidence, prevalence, and mortality associated with COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) in racial/ethnic communities. The conditions leading to these disparities may be a function of social determinants of health and stigma linked to the disease. It is important to examine how these factors may be implicated in COVID-19 onset, treatment, and outcomes. A brief overview of these issues allows for a cursory examination of the role of social determinants of health and stigma in COVID-19. Consideration is given to how understanding COVID-19 in the context of social determinants and stigma may be included in interventions to mitigate its transmission within vulnerable populations.

Keywords: COVID-19; health disparities; race/ethnicity; social determinants of health; stigma.

Publication types

Editorial

Abstract

Publication types

Grants and funding