Towards health justice: Implementing structural competency in women’s healthcare education

Q2 Nursing

International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI:10.1016/j.ijans.2025.100819

Daina Charnelle Fougang , Charles Mpofu , Dianne Wepa

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Introduction

The World Health Organization advocates for preparing medical students to address health disparities experienced by minority groups. The persistent disparities in women’s health outcomes, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, highlight critical gaps in current medical education approaches. Despite strong consensus about the significance of structural competence training in medical education, most curricula struggle to develop, teach, and assess it effectively, particularly in addressing women’s health disparities.

Objectives

This systematic review aims to: (1) evaluate structural competency’s role in women’s health disparities and (2) develop implementation strategies for women’s healthcare education.

Methodology

A systematic literature review using Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases (2010–2023) initially identified 905 articles. Following rigorous inclusion criteria focusing on structural competency, women’s health disparities, and medical education, 40 articles were selected for final analysis.

Findings

The review presents (1) comprehensive evidence of health disparities in women’s healthcare, particularly affecting racial and ethnic minorities; (2) the critical role of structural competency in addressing systemic barriers and discrimination in healthcare delivery; (3) effective teaching strategies including lecture-based, case-based, team-based, and simulation-based learning approaches; Findings indicate that successful implementation of structural competency requires multi-level interventions across individual, interpersonal, clinic, community, research, and policy domains.

Conclusion

This review establishes the importance of integrating structural competency into women’s healthcare education. While implementation challenges exist, the framework developed provides practical guidance to address women’s health disparities through structural competency training.

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来源期刊

International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences Nursing-Nursing (all)

CiteScore

2.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

114

审稿时长

21 weeks

期刊介绍： International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences (IJANS) is an international scientific journal published by Elsevier. The broad-based journal was founded on two key tenets, i.e. to publish the most exciting research with respect to the subjects of Nursing and Midwifery in Africa, and secondly, to advance the international understanding and development of nursing and midwifery in Africa, both as a profession and as an academic discipline. The fully refereed journal provides a forum for all aspects of nursing and midwifery sciences, especially new trends and advances. The journal call for original research papers, systematic and scholarly review articles, and critical papers which will stimulate debate on research, policy, theory or philosophy of nursing as related to nursing and midwifery in Africa, technical reports, and short communications, and which will meet the journal''s high academic and ethical standards. Manuscripts of nursing practice, education, management, and research are encouraged. The journal values critical scholarly debate on issues that have strategic significance for educators, practitioners, leaders and policy-makers of nursing and midwifery in Africa. The journal publishes the highest quality scholarly contributions reflecting the diversity of nursing, and is also inviting international scholars who are engaged with nursing and midwifery in Africa to contribute to the journal. We will only publish work that demonstrates the use of rigorous methodology as well as by publishing papers that highlight the theoretical underpinnings of nursing and midwifery as it relates to the Africa context.