title: The solution space: developing research and policy agendas to eliminate employment-related health inequalities.
abstract: As in many other areas of social determinants of health, policy recommendations on employment conditions and health inequalities need to be implemented and evaluated. Case studies at the country level can provide a flavor of "what works," but they remain essentially subjective. Employment conditions research should provide policies that actually reduce health inequalities among workers. Workplace trials showing some desired effect on the intervention group are insufficient for such a broad policy research area. To provide a positive heuristic, the authors propose a set of new policy research priorities, including placing more focus on "solving" and less on"problematizing" the health effects of employment conditions; developing policy-oriented theoretical frameworks to reduce employment-related inequalities in health; developing research on methods to test the effects of labor market policies; generalizing labor market interventions; engaging, reaching out to, and holding onto workers exposed to multiple forms of unhealthy employment conditions; measuring labor market inequalities in health; planning, early on, for sustainability in labor market interventions; studying intersectoral effects across multiple interventions to reduce health inequalities; and looking for evidence in a global context.
authors.affiliation: Social Policy and Prevention Research Department, Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, Toronto.
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muntaner
authors.forename: Sanjeev
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sridharan
authors.forename: Haejoo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Orielle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Solar
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quinlan
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vergara
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benach
mesh_terms: D004651:Employment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014943:Global Health; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D011640:Public Policy; D012931:Social Environment; D012940:Social Problems; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014944:World Health Organization