Why and how Barcelona has become a health inequalities research hub? A realist explanatory case study

Cash‐Gibson, Lucinda; Martínez-Herrera, Eliana; Escrig-Piñol, Astrid; Benach, Joan

doi:10.1080/14767430.2022.2095121

Cited by 3 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Both the United Kingdom and Barcelona were identified as high producers of HI research, 29,31 and the two realist explanatory case studies were conducted with the intention of shedding light on how and why these two settings have been able to generate high volumes of HI research over the past four to five decades. 30,32 Interestingly, both studies found evidence to suggest that a combination of historical sociopolitical-institutional factors have activated many causal mechanisms over time, leading to the generation of a high volume of HI research in these two settings.…”

Section: Where Why and How Is Health Inequalities Research Produced?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, both case studies identified that over the past four decades, left-wing and egalitarian political parties have shown more political recognition and concern for HI (mechanism) than right-wing conservative political parties in the United Kingdom and in Barcelona, leading to more investments in HI research capacity (mechanism) and subsequently more production of HI research (outcome of interest). 30,32 Moreover, compelling evidence suggests that individual egalitarian values and ideologies have played a significant role in initiating and sustaining the production of HI research in both settings, which likely occurred via the activation of a sense of moral responsibility to act (mechanism) and to prove that HI existed to try to address them . The activation of this mechanism seems to have been particularly important during periods of struggles 41,42 or in “hostile socio-political and research environments”.…”

Section: Insights From Two High Producers Of Health Inequalities Rese...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The activation of this mechanism seems to have been particularly important during periods of struggles 41,42 or in “hostile socio-political and research environments”. 30 (p.10)…”

Section: Insights From Two High Producers Of Health Inequalities Rese...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…43,44 In the case of Spain, domestic funding for HI research has been extremely limited through the past four decades, with the majority of HI research funding coming from international sources. 30,41,42…”

Section: Insights From Two High Producers Of Health Inequalities Rese...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These networks seemed to be particularly important in the initiation and development of the research field in the United Kingdom and Barcelona, and during certain periods when domestic research funding for HI research was limited. 30,32…”

Section: Insights From Two High Producers Of Health Inequalities Rese...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Understanding Health Inequalities Research Capacities: Insights and Recommendations From Comparing Two High Income Settings

Cash-Gibson,

Benach

2024

International Journal of Social Determinants of Health and Heal

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Generating evidence on health inequalities (HI) is necessary to raise awareness of these issues, describe and monitor their evolution, analyze their causes, and inform interventions aiming to improve health equity. Yet not all cities and countries have the capacity to produce this type of research. Recent research provides new contextual and causal insights into this research production process, and in-depth understanding on why and how this type of research is produced in certain settings. This article aims to analyze two recent case studies that have uniquely explored this process in two high producers of HI research and high-income country settings to identify learning and distil recommendations, which may be insightful for other settings. Expanding and investing in this line of research is critical, particularly in places with lower HI research output and related capacity, in order to identify key contextual conditions and mechanisms that may enable or hinder this process. This new knowledge could guide the development of new HI research capacity strengthening strategies to foster this research in different settings, worldwide. More understanding is also needed on the relationship between HI research, policy, and action in order to tackle HI.

show abstract

Section: Where Why and How Is Health Inequalities Research Produced?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Insights From Two High Producers Of Health Inequalities Rese...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The activation of this mechanism seems to have been particularly important during periods of struggles 41,42 or in “hostile socio-political and research environments”. 30 (p.10)…”

Section: Insights From Two High Producers Of Health Inequalities Rese...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Insights From Two High Producers Of Health Inequalities Rese...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Insights From Two High Producers Of Health Inequalities Rese...mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Understanding Health Inequalities Research Capacities: Insights and Recommendations From Comparing Two High Income Settings

Cash-Gibson,

Benach

2024

International Journal of Social Determinants of Health and Heal

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Expanding knowledge through sequential world views – a critical realist approach

Labas

2024

Journal of Critical Realism

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Why and how has the United Kingdom become a high producer of health inequalities research over the past 50 years? A realist explanatory case study

Cash‐Gibson

Martínez-Herrera

Benach

2023

Health Res Policy Sys

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Evidence on health inequalities has been growing over the past few decades, yet the capacity to produce research on health inequalities varies between countries worldwide and needs to be strengthened. More in-depth understanding of the sociohistorical, political and institutional processes that enable this type of research and related research capacity to be generated in different contexts is needed. A recent bibliometric analysis of the health inequalities research field found inequalities in the global production of this type of research. It also found the United Kingdom to be the second-highest global contributor to this research field after the United States. This study aims to understand why and how the United Kingdom, as an example of a “high producer” of health inequalities research, has been able to generate so much health inequalities research over the past five decades, and which main mechanisms might have been involved in generating this specific research capacity over time. Methods We conducted a realist explanatory case study, which included 12 semi-structured interviews, to test six theoretical mechanisms that we proposed might have been involved in this process. Data from the interviews and grey and scientific literature were triangulated to inform our findings. Results We found evidence to suggest that at least four of our proposed mechanisms have been activated by certain conditions and have contributed to the health inequalities research production process in the United Kingdom over the past 50 years. Limited evidence suggests that two new mechanisms might have potentially also been at play. Conclusions Valuable learning can be established from this case study, which explores the United Kingdom’s experience in developing a strong national health inequalities research tradition, and the potential mechanisms involved in this process. More research is needed to explore additional facilitating and inhibiting mechanisms and other factors involved in this process in this context, as well as in other settings where less health inequalities research has been produced. This type of in-depth knowledge could be used to guide the development of new health inequalities research capacity-strengthening strategies and support the development of novel approaches and solutions aiming to tackle health inequalities.

show abstract

Why and how Barcelona has become a health inequalities research hub? A realist explanatory case study

Cited by 3 publications

References 37 publications

Understanding Health Inequalities Research Capacities: Insights and Recommendations From Comparing Two High Income Settings

Understanding Health Inequalities Research Capacities: Insights and Recommendations From Comparing Two High Income Settings

Expanding knowledge through sequential world views – a critical realist approach

Why and how has the United Kingdom become a high producer of health inequalities research over the past 50 years? A realist explanatory case study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About