Dr. Mercedes Samudio
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drmercedessamudio.bsky.social
Dr. Mercedes Samudio
@drmercedessamudio.bsky.social
Director of Mental Wellness & Representation at a studio near you!
✨ Prismatic AfroNerd scholar
🔥 Shame Proof Parenting CEO
💖 MCU Mythologist
shameproofparenting.com
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October 30, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Structural racism as a fundamental cause of health inequities: a scoping review - International Journal for Equity in Health
Background Structural racism is increasingly recognized as a fundamental cause of health inequities. It operates through laws, institutional policies, and systemic practices that disproportionately disadvantage racially and ethnically minoritized populations. Although the body of evidence on structural racism and health is expanding, much of it remains fragmented across disciplines and sectors. This scoping review synthesized peer-reviewed research by examining the pathways through which structural racism affects health, the most frequent outcomes, and the interventions and policies implemented to address these disparities. Methods The review adhered to frameworks by Arksey and O’Malley, Levac et al., and the Joanna Briggs Institute. Six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus) were searched for English-language, peer-reviewed studies published before February 15, 2025, examining structural, systemic, or institutional racism in relation to health. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data, and findings were analyzed using thematic synthesis. Results Eighty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, covering healthcare, housing, the criminal legal system, environmental exposures, and other intersecting sectors. Structural racism was consistently associated with adverse outcomes in maternal and infant health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV care, mental health, and COVID-19. Key mechanisms included redlining, residential segregation, carceral practices, discriminatory clinical treatment, and environmental injustice. Intersectional burdens were most pronounced among Black, Indigenous, LGBQ, immigrant, and socioeconomically marginalized groups. Although some promising interventions were identified, including culturally tailored perinatal care, community health worker models, and equity-focused quality improvement, few had been rigorously evaluated or embedded in broader structural policy changes. Conclusion Structural racism was found to operate across institutional and societal systems to perpetuate health disparities. While targeted interventions show promise, significant gaps remain in the development and implementation of scalable, evidence-based reforms. To achieve health equity, public health strategies must prioritize cross-sectoral actions for confronting and dismantling the structural conditions that maintain racial injustice. This synthesis highlights the urgent need for scalable policy reforms and structural accountability measures across sectors.
equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com
October 9, 2025 at 6:54 AM
It’s the structure that keeps inequity running even when no one individual is “being racist.”

Naming it helps us target the system, not just the symptoms.
October 9, 2025 at 6:54 AM
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September 19, 2025 at 4:13 PM
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September 19, 2025 at 4:13 PM
So happy to have met you at @theuncannyexp.bsky.social this year!! 🥹💖🎉
September 18, 2025 at 5:18 PM
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September 17, 2025 at 2:52 PM