Where, why and how scientific knowledge on health inequalities is generated? : An integrated perspective to strengthen understanding of health inequalities research capacities : Key insights from the United Kingdom and the city of Barcelona

Cash-Gibson, Lucinda

Where, why and how scientific knowledge on health inequalities is generated? : An integrated perspective to strengthen understanding of health inequalities research capacities : Key insights from the United Kingdom and the city of Barcelona

Document Type

Doctoral thesis
Published Version

Author

Cash-Gibson, Lucinda

Director

Benach, Joan

Publication Date

2020-11-12

Pages

341 p.

Citation

Cash-Gibson, L. Where, why and how scientific knowledge on health inequalities is generated? : An integrated perspective to strengthen understanding of health inequalities research capacities : Key insights from the United Kingdom and the city of Barcelona. Universitat Pompeu Fabra; 2020. handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/670109

This citation was generated automatically.

Doctoral program

Programa de doctorat en Biomedicina

Abstract

This dissertation aims to understand where, why and how scientific knowledge on health inequalities is produced, why and how some places have strong capacity to produce this, and what determines this capacity. It consists of five main research articles, which integrate diverse disciplinary perspectives and methods (e.g. bibliometric and network analyses; critical review, realist explanatory case studies, with semi-structured interviews and data triangulation). Results found significant inequalities within the health inequalities scientific research field, and propose a global hypothesis on the health inequalities research production process at the local/national level, and some of the potenital conditions, determinants and dynamics involved. In the case of the United Kingdom, and the city of Barcelona, evidence suggests that six causal mechanisms, when activated under certain conditions, are key contributors to the generation of a high volume of health inequalities research. Further research should confirm and analyse them in other settings.
Esta disertación tiene como objetivo comprender dónde, por qué y cómo se produce el conocimiento científico sobre desigualdades en salud, e identificar qué determina la capacidad para crear este conocimiento en distintos contextos. Incluye cinco artículos de investigación que integran diversas perspectivas y métodos (análisis bibliométricos y de redes; revisión crítica; estudios de casos explicativos realistas; entrevistas semiestructuradas; y triangulación de datos). Los resultados principales señalan importantes desigualdades en la producción de conocimiento científico en desigualdades en salud a nivel global; se plantea una hipótesis global sobre dicho proceso y los principales determinantes, dinámicas y condiciones implicados a nivel local o nacional; en el caso del Reino Unido y Barcelona, la evidencia sugiere que seis mecanismos causales han contribuido a la generación de un alto volumen de investigación sobre desigualdades en salud, los cuales se activan bajo ciertas condiciones. Investigaciones futuras deberán analizar dichos mecanismos y determinantes en distintos entornos.

Keywords

Health inequalities, Health equity, Research capacity strengthening, Casuality, Desigualdades en salud, Equidad en salud, Fortalecimiento de la capacidad de investigación, Causalidad