The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) announces the availability of administrative supplements to support research highlighting health inequities among women in the United States who are understudied, underrepresented and underreported (U3) in biomedical research.
Key Definitions
NIH-designated health disparity populations: Racial and ethnic minority groups, persons with low socioeconomic status, underserved rural populations, sexual and gender minority groups, and persons with developmental and physical disabilities in the U.S.
Intersectionality/Intersectional Approach: Intersectionality describes how individuals’ multiple, social identities (e.g., gender, racial group, class, sexual orientation, and disability status)intersect to shape position in society, overall lived experience, and health. This intersectional approach captures a lens for analysis in the research, where multiple domains and the accompanying layered set of challenges are simultaneously considered alongside comprehensive interventions to address needs and promote health equity.
Social determinants of health: Conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.
Background
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women account for over half of the U.S. population and are more likely to experience diminished opportunities for health and health-related quality of life due to gendered power dynamics. Further, women and girls belonging to certain populations - including, but not limited to, NIH-designated health disparities populations; persons experiencing homelessness, institutionalization, or incarceration; and immigrants—bear a disproportionate burden of adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) amplifying health risk and disease prevalence and outcomes. Underrepresentation in data reporting and biomedical research additionally hinders unique opportunities to learn more about associations between social identity, cultural factors, and health.
The intersection of internal biological (e.g., hormonal function) and external social and structural forces (e.g., social determinants of health) plays a complex role in the health status, disease presentation, treatment responses, and health-related quality of life of women across the life course. In 2014, ORWH published “The Women of Color Health Data Book, 4th edition,” which presented an intersectional picture of U.S. government-sourced, population-based health, and disease, and provided visibility to the health experiences of multiply marginalized populations of women. This publication highlighted the urgent need to improve understanding of the etiologies of health and health care inequities and the mechanisms that contribute to the downstream health effects in populations of women.
This NOSI encourages rigorous experimental designs, as well as the implementation of collaborative interdisciplinary research on the common causes and pathways of ill health and disease, differential risk, treatment outcomes, morbidity, and mortality across socioecological domains and levels of influence. Thoughtful incorporation of intersectionality and culturally and contextually relevant approaches into research by applying the NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework to meet group- and population-level needs is encouraged. Partnership between early career and independent investigators, as well as experienced women’s health researchers with those with expertise in health disparities, are encouraged to strengthen and accelerate multidisciplinary research in this space.
Specific Areas of Research Interest
This notice will support projects investigating inequities in women and girls’ health and intervention studies to improve equity. Additionally, projects with an emphasis on those that integrate measures beyond the individual level and consider perspectives from multiple disciplines are of specific interest. A broad range of research topics studied at the preclinical, clinical, behavioral, and translational levels—including proposals incorporating multilevel interventions, using community-engaged approaches, and focusing on one or more NIH-designated health disparities populations—are encouraged.