Structural Violence and Health-Related Outcomes in Europe: A Descriptive Systematic Review

Gloria Macassa, Cormac McGrath, Mamunur Rashid and Joaquim Soares
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Gloria Macassa: Department of Public Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Occupational and Health Sciences, University of Gävle, Kungsbacksvägen 47, 80176 Gävle, Sweden
Cormac McGrath: Department of Education, Stockholm University, Frescativägen 54, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
Mamunur Rashid: Department of Public Health and Sports Science, Faculty of Occupational and Health Sciences, University of Gävle, Kungsbacksvägen 47, 80176 Gävle, Sweden
Joaquim Soares: Department of Health Sciences, Mid-Sweden University, Holmgatan 10, SE-85170 Sundsvall, Sweden

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-14

Abstract: In recent years, there has been a revival of the term “structural violence (SV)” which was coined by Johan Galtung in the 1960s in the context of Peace Studies. “Structural violence” refers to social structures—economic, legal, political, religious, and cultural—that prevent individuals, groups and societies from reaching their full potential. In the European context, very few studies have investigated health and well-being using an SV perspective. Therefore, this paper sought to systematically and descriptively review studies that used an SV framework to examine health-related outcomes across European countries. The review included two studies each from Spain and France, one each from the UK, Ukraine and Russia, and another study including the three countries Sweden, Portugal and Germany. With the exception of one mixed-method study, the studies used a qualitative design. Furthermore, the eight studies in the review used different conceptualizations of SV, which indicates the complexity of using SV as a concept in public health in the European context. Future research that attempts to identify and standardize measures of SV is needed; the knowledge gained is hoped to inform appropriate interventions aiming to reduce the effects of SV on population health.

Keywords: structural violence; health outcomes; social determinants of health; Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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