For research on health disparities and health equity, several different disciplines or subjects may have literature on the topic. This could include resources in the medical field, nursing and allied health, and even the social sciences,.
Links to recommended databases are provided below. Review our full list of databases for more options.
When looking for research materials, a common issue one may run into is knowing which search terms to use. While there may be field-specific terms relating to health disparities, databases may have their own language for coding articles.
If you're not sure how to go about structuring your search terms and conducting an advanced search, here is a Gumberg library guide that offers search tips and tricks.
When searching about health disparities, consider these search terms:
Depending on the populations you're wanting to observe regarding health disparities, options can vary. Remember that some populations may be referred to by a variety of terms, so widening your search to look for more than one may yield better results. For example, if one wanted to do research on health disparities in African American populations, one could search:
To put them all together to get the broadest search including articles featuring any of these titles, you would search:
Say you're wanting to look into health disparities as it relates to one of the social determinants of health, but not necessarily just in one population. It may be helpful to consider widening the search to broad subject identifiers. For example, these are search terms one might use for research on health equity in relation to economic class groups:
