Where do shared pathways lead? Some reflections on a research agenda

Abstract

A substantial body of research relates socioeconomic, behavioral, social, and psychological factors to the development and progression of a wide variety of diseases. The search for shared pathways that link these factors leads to the investigation of upstream determinants, as opposed to biologic pathways, but these have been little studied by biobehavioral researchers. Available data suggest that socioeconomic factors structure the development and maintenance of behavioral, social, and psychological factors; however, we know little of how this takes place. A consideration of the ways in which socioeconomic position influences the everyday texture of people's lives could advance our understanding of both macroeconomic and microeconomic influences on health, and lead to new, community-centric approaches to intervention. Such a research agenda would help to advance the scientific foundations for reducing the primary origins of disease, which are social and economic.