Advancing Health Equity Through Innovation in Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDH)

Dr. Joseph Inungu (Guest Editor-in Chief)

School of Health Sciences, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48858

Interests: Health disparities, Global Health, Infectious Diseases

E-Mail: inung1j@cmich.edu

Website: https://www.cmich.edu/people/JOSEPH-NTEIN-INUNGU

Special Issue Information

The Electronic Journal of General Medicine (EJGM) is pleased to announce a special issue on “Advancing Health Equity Through Innovation in Addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDH).”  Health equity remains a critical challenge in public health, as disparities persist across various populations owing to the underlying social determinants of health (SDOH). Socioeconomic status, education, housing, environmental conditions, and access to health care significantly influence health outcomes. Addressing these determinants through innovative approaches is essential to reduce health disparities and improve population health. Innovation in SDOH solutions spans technology-driven approaches, community-based interventions, policy reforms, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Advances in artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and telehealth have offered new opportunities to identify and mitigate health disparities. Additionally, community-led initiatives and participatory research effectively tailor interventions to marginalized populations' needs.

This special issue explores cutting-edge research, policies, and interventions that directly tackle the SDOH. It highlights evidence-based practices and transformative innovations for reducing health inequities. The contributions may include original research (qualitative and quantitative), systematic reviews, and policy analyses that provide practical solutions. The inclusion of diverse perspectives through original research and policy analyses in this issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of effective strategies, thereby deepening our understanding of the mechanisms behind health inequities and offering evidence-based recommendations for policy reforms

Guest Editors

Dr. Jayaraman, Roop Chand (jayar1rc@cmich.edu)

Dr. Iheduru-Anderson, Kechi (ihedu1k@cmich.edu)

Dr. Inungu, Joseph Ntein (inung1j@cmich.edu)

Dr. Mumford, Vincent (mumfo1ve@cmich.edu)

Timeline Overview

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at https://www.ejgm.co.uk by registering and logging in to the website. Once you are registered, you can click on submit your manuscript. Select Special Issue as the “Issue Type.” All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published in the journal and listed on the special issue website. Research articles (both quantitative and qualitative), review articles and short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. The Electronic Journal of General Medicine is an English multidisciplinary, double-blind, peer-reviewed, open-access medical journal publishing articles in general medicine with ISSN 2516-3507. It is published bimonthly (February, April, June, August, October and December). Please visit the Manuscript Preparation Guidelines page before submitting a manuscript. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English.

APC is waived for the SDH special issue. For the second article by the same author, excluding guest editors, the APC is 1000 EURO.

Keywords

• Health equity
• Health disparities
• Social determinants of health
• Quantitative
• Qualitative
• Digital health interventions
• Artificial intelligence in healthcare
• Mobile health apps
• Telehealth
• Community-driven initiatives
• Innovative interventions

Relevance to the Journal’s Audience and the Field

The Electronic Journal of General Medicine (EJGM) serves a diverse readership, including public health researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and healthcare professionals worldwide. Given its broad focus on general medicine and public health, this special issue aligns well with the journal’s mission by addressing a crucial and timely topic that affects global health outcomes.

By featuring high-quality original research, reviews, and case studies, this special issue will:

• Equip public health professionals and clinicians with evidence-based strategies to incorporate innovative interventions into practice.
• Provide researchers with a platform to explore new methodologies and frameworks for reducing health disparities.
• Offer policymakers insights into scalable and sustainable solutions for improving health equity through innovation.

Published Articles

Original Article

Factors associated with colorectal cancer screening among U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study using NHIS 2023 data

Nirajan Budhathoki, Mary Isha Koroma, Chin-I Cheng, Joseph Ntein Inungu, Vincent Mumford

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 22, Issue 5, October 2025, Article No: em681

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/16745

Original Article

A national survey of health professional student preceptors’ workplace mental health and well-being

Preshit Nemdas Ambade, Zach Hoffman, Minseo Yi, Neil J MacKinnon

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 22, Issue 5, October 2025, Article No: em682

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/16746

Original Article

Disparities in adult mental health service utilization in the United States: A cross-sectional study

Mary Isha Koroma, Joseph Ntein Inungu, Mimi Adu-Serwaah, Sanchita Sultana, Mustafa Z Younis, Kechinyere Iheduru-Anderson

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 22, Issue 5, October 2025, Article No: em683

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/16747

Original Article

LSU-CrescentCare Sexual Health Center: An inter-organizational partnership initiative to improve access to sexual health services in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Stephanie N Taylor, Rebecca A Lillis, Ronald D Wilcox, Laura Damioli, David H Martin, Alice Riener, Julio E Figueroa, M Jacques Nsuami

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 22, Issue 5, October 2025, Article No: em684

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/16748

Review Article

Utilization of mental health services among Black African immigrants in the US: Integrative literature review

Kechi Iheduru-Anderson, Joseph Ntein Inungu, Roop Jayaraman, Vincent E Mumford

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 22, Issue 5, October 2025, Article No: em685

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/16749

Review Article

Improving fruit/vegetable behaviors as a social determinant of health among children: A systematic review

Katherine Taelman, Frank Snyder, Najat Yahia

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 22, Issue 6, December 2025, Article No: em697

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/17391

Original Article

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and access: Confronting the myth of meritocracy in nursing academia

Kechi Iheduru-Anderson, Roop Jayaraman, Joseph Inungu, Vincent E Mumford

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 22, Issue 6, December 2025, Article No: em701

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/17437

Case Report

A coordinated AOT model to address behavioral health disparities through social determinants of health: A case study

Nicole A DuPont, Sean P Field

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 22, Issue 6, December 2025, Article No: em704

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/17440

Original Article

Using artificial intelligence to create case studies addressing social determinants in graduate nursing education

Karen Elaine Alexander, Nisha Mathews, Steven Sutherland, Jolly Joseph, Katecia Holmes, Madison Sims

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 23, Issue 1, February 2026, Article No: em707

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/17634

Review Article

Impact of social determinants of health on medication access and adherence

Cyril Blavo, Rachel Amsellem, London Danchulis, Dakota Taylor, Mayur S Parmar

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 23, Issue 1, February 2026, Article No: em711

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/17761

Original Article

Association of adolescent cannabis use with poor mental health and suicidality in young adulthood: A cross-sectional study using YRBS 2023 data

Joseph Ntein Inungu, Jennifer Ifeoma Olofu, Nirajan Budhathoki, Niki Osakue

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 23, Issue 1, February 2026, Article No: em712

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/17802

Original Article

Exploring healthcare workers’ intentions to volunteer in digital healthcare services for underserved communities: An extended TAM-based study

Eeman Almokdad, Kamel Mouloudj, Anuli Njoku, Ahmed Chemseddine Bouarar, Marian A Evans, Dachel Martínez Asanza, Smail Mouloudj

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 23, Issue 1, February 2026, Article No: em714

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/17915

Review Article

Advancing telehealth equity: Addressing barriers across social determinants of health

Cyril Blavo, Nidhi Patel, Evran E Ural, Olivia D’Alessio, Jyotsna Chawla

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 23, Issue 2, April 2026, Article No: em716

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/17803