The Evidence Base for Social Determinants of Health as Risk Factors for Infant Mortality: A Systematic Scoping Review

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to identify social determinants of health as risk factors for infant mortality, particularly among African Americans, and to determine the extent to which research has demonstrated an association between each social determinant of health and infant mortality. A systematic scoping review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Databases searched include: EBSCOhost, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, SocINDEX, Social Work Abstracts, and Sociological Collection. Following a three-step selection process conducted by two reviewers, 89 studies were included. The social ecological model was used to categorize both the search terms and the findings. Findings revealed that the majority of studies focused on the individual and public policy levels, and most failed to account for the complexity of the issue. Additional research is needed to explore the social determinants of health that are hypothesized to affect infant mortality across all levels, applying more complex, system-level approaches.