Health Justice

Abstract

This entry provides an overview of health justice theory and research, calling for further research that explicitly and proactively employs social justice perspectives in health communication. As the incorporation of a social justice perspective into health research requires scholars to revisit traditional notions of health, we begin with explicating evolving definitions of health from a justice point of view. In turn, we define and review the literature of health justice, accompanied by a brief description of related but distinct terms such as health disparity, health equality, and health equity. Additionally, we make a distinction between health justice and healthcare justice, which offers an important philosophical foundation for future research. Building on the literature, we in turn propose the core tenets of health justice approaches. Finally, we introduce key theoretical frameworks in health communication that are closely linked to health justice scholarship.