The importance of transdisciplinary collaborations for understanding and resolving health disparities

Sarah Gehlert, Ann Murray, Dana Sohmer, Martha McClintock, Suzanne Conzen, Olufunmilayo Olopade

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Scopus citations

Abstract

Group disparities in health have been documented for several decades. Despite recent efforts to eliminate them, group differences persist and challenge the ability of scientists to address them using traditional research paradigms. Because the determinants of disparities occur at multiple levels, from the molecular to the societal, and interact with one another in ways not yet fully understood, they represent a challenge to researchers attempting to capture their complexity. After reviewing existing models of disciplinary collaboration, we outline the challenges of a transdisciplinary approach and its ability to afford the holistic view of disparities needed to develop effective interventions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)408-422
Number of pages15
JournalSocial Work in Public Health
Volume25
Issue number3-4
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2010
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cancer
  • Health disparities
  • Intervention
  • Research
  • Transdisciplinarity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Health Policy
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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