International Journal for Equity in Health最新文献

{"title":"Intersectionality in healthcare leadership: a scoping review on the career experiences of racially and ethnically minoritised women health professionals.","authors":"Ifeoluwa Adesina, Anju E Joham, Nada Hamad, Mihirika Surangi De Silva Pincha Baduge, Belinda Garth, Thuy Vy Nguyen, Jacqueline Boyle","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02608-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02608-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The underrepresentation of women in positions of leadership, policy, and decision-making is a persistent issue within the healthcare workforce. Disparities in representation are particularly pronounced for women with minoritised racial and ethnic identities. Ensuring the equitable advancement of women into health leadership requires moving beyond approaches that homogenise the experiences of women to addressing the distinct needs of women with intersecting identities. This scoping review sought to summarise the existing evidence on the impact of the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity on the workplace experiences, career journeys, and leadership attainment of women health professionals with minoritised racial and ethnic identities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This scoping review was completed using Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage methodological framework. A comprehensive search identified peer-reviewed papers and grey literature. Inclusion criteria followed an a priori protocol, with no restrictions on publication date, geographic location, or healthcare setting. The search was limited to the English language. A deductive content analysis approach was used to categorise data according to the three forms of intersectionality: structural, political, and representational. Additional categories focused on the psycho-emotional impacts of experiences and women's agentic responses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 4043 sources identified, 57 were included in the review. Findings show that racially and ethnically minoritised women in healthcare more frequently described experiences of race-based inequities. This underscores the salience of racialisation in their experiences of marginalisation, an aspect often obscured by gender-only analyses. Current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives were reported to have limited effectiveness in addressing the challenges faced by REM women in their careers. These initiatives often lack targeted and impactful strategies to counteract racial and/or gender-based discrimination, provide meaningful support, and promote equitable access to advancement and leadership opportunities. Findings highlighted the prioritisation of Eurocentric/Western knowledge, the prevalence of institutional Whiteness, and practices of tokenistic inclusion. Disproportionate workload allocations, and the burden to consistently outperform White women counterparts, were reported. Persistent exposure to microaggressions, racialised stereotypes, and organisational reluctance to confront racism were also noted. Psychological and emotional challenges, including burnout and internalised oppression, were highlighted. Agency, resilience and resistance were demonstrated through strategic disengagement, professional development, reframing challenges as growth opportunities, forming diversity networks, and advocating for minoritised colleagues.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Advancing gender equity ","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"245"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12487624/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199280","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of a gender-responsive maternal, newborn and child health program on health and economic outcomes during COVID-19 in Kenya: a mixed-methods study.","authors":"Abiola Adeniyi, Justus E Ikemeri, Alice Mũrage, Jeffrey N Bone, Sheilah Chelagat, Gertrude Anusu, Anjellah Jumah, Sammy Masibo, Sam Mbugua, Michael Scanlon, Lauren Y Maldonado, Violet Naanyu, Laura J Ruhl, Astrid Christoffersen-Deb, Julia J Songok","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02579-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02579-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic worsened health and economic disparities for women in resource-limited settings. Chamas for Change (Chamas, Swahili for 'groups with a purpose') is a gender-responsive maternal, newborn and child health program that combines health education with social support and microfinance activities to address systematic disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. This study evaluated the program's effectiveness in mitigating pandemic-related health and economic inequities in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya, a region with significant pre-existing vulnerabilities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a mixed-methods study using an explanatory sequential design from March to December 2023. We collected quantitative data from 609 women in 3 cohorts: continuous Chamas participants (n = 128), discontinued (drop-out) participants (n = 240), and women without Chamas exposure (n = 241). We measured maternal health indicators and the Poverty Probability Index (PPI) score as primary outcomes. Quantitative analysis included linear mixed-effects models (unadjusted and adjusted). Qualitative data from focus group discussions and key informant interviews (n = 57) were analyzed using the Gender and COVID-19 Matrix.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Continuous Chamas participants achieved significantly higher rates of postpartum visits (OR = 19.54; 95% CI:3.76-101.57) and exclusive breastfeeding (OR = 8.04; 95% CI:1.52-42.43), demonstrating reduced disparities in essential maternal health services. They showed lower health insurance uptake (OR = 0.43; 95% CI:0.22-0.83) and minimal improvements in PPI scores. Qualitative findings revealed that while the pandemic disrupted health services, Chamas membership provided continuity of care through adapted CHW services. However, pandemic-related restrictions limited the program's economic benefits, potentially due to the program's shifted focus toward health service delivery during the crisis, intensifying existing economic inequities.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The Chamas program effectively sustained maternal and child health practices during the COVID-19 pandemic through adapted CHW support but showed limited ability to protect members from economic hardship. This demonstrates both the resilience and limitations of community-based interventions during widespread crises. Our results highlight the need for robust governmental support and social protection measures to address underlying economic vulnerabilities for women. Future pandemic preparedness should integrate CHWs into formal health systems and focus on strengthening linkages with formal financial systems while supporting CHWs' role in reducing inequities in maternal and newborn health service delivery during crises.</p>","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"242"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12487483/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geographic disparities in inpatient service in primary care and patients' choice of first point of consultation: a linked cross-sectional survey and administrative data analysis in Shaanxi of China.","authors":"Chi Shen, Yangling Ren, Yan Zhuang, Qiwei Deng, Dantong Zhao, Zhongliang Zhou","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02623-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02623-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The enhancement of primary care capacity and service quality has been demonstrated in numerous developed countries as an effective strategy for establishing hierarchical healthcare delivery systems. However, this established pattern shows limited applicability in China's context. Our study investigates through empirical analysis whether strengthened inpatient service in primary care effectively incentivizes patients to select primary healthcare institutions (PHIs) as their first-point consultation (FPC) choice in Shaanxi, a western province in China, and whether this effect exhibits consistent efficacy across all regions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study Linked the National Health Services Survey on population and administrative data on PHIs in 2023 in Shaanxi. 4,570 first point consultations from 4,464 patients in 3,704 households were included in our study. Generalized linear mixed models were employed to estimate the association between the annual number of hospitalizations of PHIs and patients' choice of PHIs as their FPC.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our findings demonstrated a positive association between annual number of hospitalizations in PHIs and increased FPC rates at PHIs (OR = 1.151, 95% CI 1.059 to 1.254). However, significant geographic heterogeneity emerged, with effects confined to urban-rural transition zones (OR = 2.457, 95% CI 1.768 to 3.415) and rural areas (OR = 2.322, 95% CI 1.672 to 3.223). Socioeconomic stratification analysis revealed an inverse relationship between household income quartiles and PHIs utilization rates, the lower the economic levels of residents in these areas, the higher the rate of first point consultation in PHIs will be.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings suggest that inpatient service in primary care enhancement exhibits heterogeneous effects on FPC rates across China's geographic and socioeconomic strata. Policy prioritization should focus on targeted interventions in underserved rural regions with medical resource scarcity, potentially yielding greater equity dividends in healthcare access. Improving the capacity of primary care services should remain a key direction of health system.</p>","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"237"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482711/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges and opportunities for inclusive, equitable and accessible school holiday clubs for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).","authors":"Lorna Hatch, Laura Tinner, Cecilia Khofi-Szeremley, Florence Darling, Sophie Clohessy, Jessica Tanner, Hannah Robinson, Russell Jago, Carolyn Summerbell, Laura Mazzoli-Smith, Miranda Pallan, Margaret A Defeyter, Marie Murphy","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02607-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02607-y","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), particularly those from families with low-income, experience inequities across educational and health outcomes. The school holidays are difficult for families with low-income, prompting UK government programmes including the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) clubs. Little is known about how inclusive these holiday clubs are for children with SEND, despite this being a group who may particularly benefit. This study is embedded within a wider project on the HAF programme to explore the challenges and opportunities for inclusive and accessible holiday club provision and provides recommendations for the HAF Toolkit.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Participant experiences were captured using two qualitative methods: 1) interviews with holiday programme delivery staff and parents of attendees (staff n=28, parents n=10); 2) focus group discussions at creative workshops with parents whose children are eligible for the holiday programme but do not attend (n=22). The Framework Method and Reflexive Thematic Analysis were used.  METHODS: Participant experiences were captured using two qualitative methods: (1) interviews with holiday programme delivery staff and parents of attendees (staff n = 28, parents n = 10); (2) focus group discussions at creative workshops with parents whose children are eligible for the holiday programme but do not attend (n = 22). The Framework Method and Reflexive Thematic Analysis were used.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Findings reveal challenges and opportunities around accessing and experiencing the holiday clubs for children with SEND. Access subthemes included: lack of clarity in advertising whether clubs welcome children with SEND; frequent non-disclosure from parents of their child's needs; accessible transportation; and additional resources needed for SEND provision. Experience subthemes included: food provision for children with SEND; training and staffing that covers the range of needs; and the experiences of children within mainstream provision versus specialist providers of SEND clubs. All participant groups illuminated areas where holiday clubs could be improved to ensure an enjoyable and equitable experience for children with SEND. However, wider debates around ableism and the challenges children with SEND face in society broadly were also illustrated in data. Further, the current economic context and the additional resources needed to support inclusive holiday club provision underpinned much of the data. Opportunities were highlighted such as parent volunteers and external investment, that could maximise the potential of the current government funding.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Our findings highlight issues in access and experience of holiday clubs for children with SEND and provide potential avenues for promoting inclusivity, including how adaptations to the Toolkit could specifically improve HAF. There are con","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"236"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12481733/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Migrants are human beings and they don't sleep with animals\" healthcare workers and migrants' experiences of the impact of inadequate antiretroviral therapy provision in Botswana.","authors":"Galekgatlhe Bailey Balekang, Treasa Galvin, Daniel Serai Rakgoasi","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02621-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02621-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"239"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482223/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An empirical study of 15-minute fitness circles and the health of Chinese older adults-based on the mediating effect of physical activity.","authors":"Long Niu, Xiaodong Zhang, Yichen Ma, Lijuan Fan","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02631-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02631-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The accelerating global aging process underscores the need for effective healthy aging strategies. Existing studies evidence demonstrates a significant positive association between physical activity and older adults' health. However, systematic investigations into the health-promoting effects of spatial intervention policies-and their underlying mechanisms-remain lacking. The 15-minute fitness circles, a spatial intervention policy aimed at providing accessible fitness facilities within a 15-minute walk, has been proposed as a potential solution to promote physical activity among older adults. This study aims to investigate the Health-promoting effects of the 15-minute fitness circles and explore the underlying mechanisms through which it influences older adults' health.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The data analysis in this study is based on the 2021 wave of the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS 2021) data, with a final sample size of 3,516. First, we conducted descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation matrix analysis to characterize the core variables. Second, the stepwise regression method was used to examine the mediating role of physical activity in the association between 15-minute fitness circles and older adults' health, with bias-corrected bootstrapping (5,000 replicates) employed to verify the mediation effects. Finally, stepwise regression was used to test potential gender differences in the mediation pathways. Additionally, to further validate the robustness of the research findings, we reclassified physical activity into \"active\" and \"inactive\" categories for reanalysis. All analyses were implemented in STATA 17.0.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results indicated that 15-minute fitness circles demonstrated a significant positive association with older adults' Health. Furthermore, physical activity was independently associated with better Health outcomes in older adults. Mediation analysis revealed that physical activity significantly mediated 24.3% of the total effect between 15-minute fitness circles and older adults' health.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings highlight the importance of 15-minute fitness circles in promoting healthy aging by enhancing physical activity among older adults. The results demonstrate that China's initiative not only addresses a critical research gap in the interdisciplinary mechanism of \"public sports environment-physical activity-healthy aging\" but also provides valuable insights for other developing countries aiming to improve health outcomes in aging populations. Furthermore, this study underscores the broader significance of such initiatives for health governance in aging societies worldwide, emphasizing the need for accessible public sports environments to support healthy aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"238"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12481842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Barriers to seeking healthcare services and contributing factors to grade 2 disability among women affected by leprosy in Telangana, India - a qualitative study.","authors":"Charlotte Nehring, Andrea Kaifie, Ananth Reddy, Matthew Willis, Fabian Schlumberger, Nita Chaudhuri, Anil Fastenau","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02642-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02642-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"240"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482034/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wealth inequalities in childhood stunting in the northern province of rwanda: a decomposition analysis.","authors":"Albert Ndagijimana, Miguel San Sebastian, Kristina Elfving, Aline Umubyeyi, Torbjörn Lind","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02626-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02626-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"235"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12482244/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Barriers and facilitators of preventive healthcare access among immigrants in rural America: a scoping review.","authors":"Yingying Zeng, Xixi Kang, Yibin Yang, Eunmi Hwang","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02603-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02603-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Preventive healthcare services are essential for improving health outcomes and reducing disparities; however, immigrant populations in rural America face significant barriers to accessing such care. This scoping review examines the barriers and facilitators to preventive healthcare access among rural immigrant populations in the United States, utilizing a systematic analysis of 21 peer-reviewed studies published between 2011 and 2025. Key findings reveal interconnected barriers at multiple levels, spanning from individual psychological factors to policy-level exclusions. Facilitators include community-based initiatives, culturally responsive care, and policy-driven supports such as Medicaid and vaccination programs. The review also highlights critical gaps in the literature, including limited research on non-Hispanic immigrant groups and underrepresentation of certain preventive care services, such as diabetes management and oral health. Addressing these challenges requires multilevel interventions that prioritize affordability, accessibility, and cultural relevance. This review underscores the need for comprehensive, equity-driven strategies to ensure that rural immigrant populations can fully benefit from preventive healthcare services.</p>","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"241"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12481928/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145191481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Has the new GP contract in Scotland reduced health inequalities? Qualitative evaluation of the views of general practitioners working in deprived areas.","authors":"Laura Aitken, Eddie Donaghy, Stewart W Mercer","doi":"10.1186/s12939-025-02609-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12939-025-02609-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Scotland has the widest health inequalities in western Europe and a well-documented inverse care law in general practice. Scotland introduced a new General Practitioner contract in 2018, reforming how care is delivered. Changes included expanding the primary care multidisciplinary team, and grouping practices into geographical clusters to improve quality of care for the local populations. A stated aim of the new contract was also to reduce inequalities in health. However, the effects of the reforms upon health inequalities have been little explored. This study aimed to analyse the views of General Practitioners working in deprived areas on the impact of the contract on health inequalities in Scotland.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study involved a secondary analysis of qualitative data from one-to-one interviews with 11 GPs serving patients in deprived areas of Scotland. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Despite some positive opinions on some aspects of the contract, GPs in deprived areas felt that the aim of reducing inequalities had not been achieved. Reasons for this were: (1) persisting barriers to engagement for patients in deprived areas (including poor access to services, lack of patient education about the reforms, centralisation of some services, and difficulties with remote consulting), (2) inadequate support to manage patients with complex problems (including difficulty in providing continuity of care, and limited resources for patients with specific comorbidities such as mental health and chronic pain), (3) clusters in areas of deprivation lacking capacity to address health inequalities (including lack of time, lack of training, and lack of data and evaluation), and (4) a lack of workforce and strategic planning in the new contract regarding deprivation (such as suitable resource allocation and recruitment of sufficient numbers of appropriate staff in practices in deprived areas). Two additional cross-cutting themes were identified, relating to lack of time and poor relationships.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The new Scottish General Practice contract has not achieved its aim of reducing health inequalities, according to General Practitioners working in deprived areas. Future iterations of the contract need to implement changes that will tackle the inverse care law and thus help reduce inequalities in health.</p>","PeriodicalId":13745,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Equity in Health","volume":"24 1","pages":"233"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465369/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145174742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}