Pervasive Structural Racism in Environmental Epidemiology

The document discussed how environmental epidemiology historically overlooked the impact of structural racism on health outcomes, often reducing race to a mere data point and neglecting the social dimensions of health. It highlighted the need to address disparities affecting BIPOC populations by explicitly naming racism in research, including BIPOC in leadership roles, and conducting holistic analyses. Examples from environmental health and male infertility were used to demonstrate the consequences of ignoring racism, such as the disproportionate exposure of BIPOC to environmental pollutants and the focus on White men in infertility research. The document called for systemic changes, including increased community participation, improved antiracism training, and the integration of intersectionality into health frameworks to better understand and eliminate health disparities.