Open research questions in Historical and modern epidemiology studies
134 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,153 Historical and modern epidemiology studies papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
Future studies should focus on understanding the relationship between food consumption and following a healthy diet and improving and reducing symptoms of anxiety and anhedonia in those who suffer from a stressful or task-filled lifestyle, such as students, especially postgraduate students.
Prevalence of anhedonia, anxiety, and their impact on food consumption among postgraduate Qassim University students · 2024 · DOIThe level and manner of support and the condition of organizational action vary widely by and the condition of organizational action vary widely by political economic setting.
Sociological Contributions to the Political Economy of Health: Lessons for Medical Anthropologists · 1986 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in the understanding of automedication practices among medicine students in a public university in Chile. The study highlights the need to consider the social world of consumption in understanding automedication practices.
El fármaco revisitado desde la perspectiva CTS. Estómagos, racionalidades y eficacias en automedicaciones estimulantes · 2026 · DOIThe study identifies a gap in the literature on pharmaceutical use in indigenous communities. The research highlights the need for further study on the use of pharmaceuticals in these contexts. The paper notes that the use of pharmaceuticals is a complex phenomenon that requires further investigation.
“Oro a la pastilla para que me sane”: intermedicalidad farmacéutica en comunidades guaraníes de Argentina · 2026 · DOIsocial promotes rejections. and than activism articles on their work rather Social Medicine, Volume 19, Number 1, January-April 2026. ISSN: 1557-7112. www.socialmedicine.info 8 Matt R. Anderson and the Social Medicine Journal Florencia Peña Saint Martin, Fernando Borgia, Óscar Feo Istúriz organization in support of social movements and organizations. The journal stands for peace and social justice, recognizes health as a fundamental human and social right, and advocates for the implementation of universal public health systems. We conclude this text by noting that, nearly twenty years into its editorial life, Social Medicine Journal stands as the product of a collective of dreamers— many of them anonymous—who, at different times and from different corners of the world, found in Matt a rare combination of professionalism, commitment, and dedication. These, intertwined with his structural humanism, infused every step, every action, and every exchange that made the journal possible. Without a doubt, Matt has illuminated us with his sincere friendship, his exceptional professionalism, and his vast knowledge. And although we know he dislikes tributes, awards, and public recognition— since his work has always been guided by a genuine commitment to advancing deeper causes—Social Medicine Journal owes him this small tribute for his crucial role in its creation and ongoing success. Thank you, Matt, for everything.
The need for a framework to strengthen CURE development. The lack of research on the effectiveness of backward design in producing CUREs that prompt engagement in scientific practices and authentic research.
The gap between what is currently happening in global health and what it ought to be for progressive change. The need for alternative and potentially progressive forces in shaping the future.
Notes on the political economy of planetary health – with reflections on prospects for the ‘symbiocene’ and the ‘post-modern princess’ · 2026 · DOIdevelopment and formal evaluation of masculinity-congruent SP pathways, - research on the effectiveness of Men’s Sheds for younger men and men not well served by a work-analog, project-based model, - investigation of the cost-effectiveness of Men’s Sheds compared to formal mental health services
Commentary: The future of U.S. social prescribing: foundations, implementation, and leadership summit insights · 2026 · DOIThe paper identifies a gap in the social prescribing literature, which has not adequately addressed the challenge of reaching men. The author argues that traditional social prescribing approaches may not be effective for men, who require masculinity-congruent community programs. The paper highlights the need for further research on the development and evaluation of such programs.
Commentary: The future of U.S. social prescribing: foundations, implementation, and leadership summit insights · 2026 · DOIconvenience sampling method was used, - sample size was limited to 281 women, - study was cross-sectional
Associations of cooking and food preparation skills with diet quality and body weight among Turkish women · 2026 · DOIThe independent associations between cooking and food preparation skills, diet quality, and body weight remain unclear. There is a lack of studies investigating the relationship between culinary skills and health outcomes among Turkish women. The study aims to fill this gap by examining the associations between cooking skills, diet quality, and body weight.
Associations of cooking and food preparation skills with diet quality and body weight among Turkish women · 2026 · DOIFurther study of the history and development of social medicine in the US. Analysis of the impact of social medicine on healthcare practices and policies. Investigation of the role of social medicine in addressing health threats facing communities.
The exclusion of social medicine from mainstream medical education in the US. The lack of recognition of the contributions of scholars and physicians of color to the field of social medicine. The need for a better understanding of the history and development of social medicine in the US.
Future research can explore the implications of social medicine's influence on contemporary healthcare policies. The study's findings can inform the development of healthcare systems that prioritize social reform and collective care.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of social medicine's role in shaping the Scandinavian welfare states. The study seeks to address this gap by examining the emergence and evolution of social medicine in the context of the Scandinavian welfare states.
Future research should examine the impact of the Cold War on the development of social medicine in Latin America. Further studies should analyze the role of international organizations in shaping health policy in the region.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the history of social medicine in Latin America. The study highlights the need for a more nuanced analysis of the evolution of social medicine in the region.
To that end, a primary theme of this essay is that while the history of capitalism offers a promising lens through which to explore history, the current lack of consensus about how to periodize and define "capitalism" could impede the bourgeoning subfield's robust development and its usefulness to historians of medicine.
The paper identifies a need for a clear understanding of the concepts and principles of preventive medicine. The author argues that there is a lack of distinction between community medicine and community health.
The author questions whether life expectancy prolongation should be a goal of preventive medicine and suggests cancer prevention extending life expectancy by two years may not be ideal, but offers no framework for determining the optimal distribution of life duration or criteria for selecting which conditions warrant prevention efforts in populations.
The lack of study on the relationship between the report and the Hellenistic tradition. The lack of historical evidence for Hippocrates using fire to cure the plague.
The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of meaning realism in social science. The author argues that the concept of meaning realism is often misunderstood and that its relation to translation and social explanation needs to be re-examined.
Adapting sociological stratification principles and theories to medical experience. Adapting descriptions of medical data to sociological groups and class theories.
The lack of detail and differentiation in the principles and methods used in political sociology for constructing social groups and stratifying study-populations. The limited relevance of the parameters of social stratification used in medical epidemiology for the purposes of preventive medical research.
The history of workers' health in the United States is complex - Other medical efforts glossed over the problem of coordinating the interests and values of labor, business, and medicine
Most-cited papers in Historical and modern epidemiology studies
- Social Conditions As Fundamental Causes of Disease · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · 1995 · 4,601 citations
- The Brazilian health system: history, advances, and challenges · The Lancet · 2011 · 1,604 citations
- Medicalization and Social Control · Annual Review of Sociology · 1992 · 1,228 citations
- Medicine as an Institution of Social Control · The Sociological Review · 1972 · 1,048 citations
- The Construction of Lay Expertise: AIDS Activism and the Forging of Credibility in the Reform of Clinical Trials · Science Technology & Human Values · 1995 · 870 citations
- Systemic racism and U.S. health care · Social Science & Medicine · 2014 · 675 citations
- The Social Construction of Illness: Key Insights and Policy Implications · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · 2010 · 561 citations
- The ORIGINS of Primary Health Care and SELECTIVE Primary Health Care · American Journal of Public Health · 2004 · 447 citations
- You are Dangerous to Your Health: The Ideology and Politics of Victim Blaming · International Journal of Health Services · 1977 · 434 citations
- THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF PHARMACEUTICALS: A Biographical Approach · Annual Review of Anthropology · 1996 · 355 citations
Most recent work
- Cancer and Capitalism: Towards a Critical Sociological Agenda · Sociology Lens · 2026
- El fármaco revisitado desde la perspectiva CTS. Estómagos, racionalidades y eficacias en automedicaciones estimulantes · Alteridades · 2026
- “Oro a la pastilla para que me sane”: intermedicalidad farmacéutica en comunidades guaraníes de Argentina · Alteridades · 2026
- Matt R. Anderson and the Social Medicine Journal · Social medicine · 2026
- Beyond the Living: Death Care and the Boundaries of Social Reproduction · Ethics and Social Welfare · 2026
- In the Liminal · AEM Education and Training · 2026
- Backward Design As a Framework for Strengthening CURE Development · Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research · 2026
- Application of health belief model (HBM) in health sciences and medical researches: systematic review on African and Asian countries · BMC Public Health · 2026
- Whose Federation? Federation Opacity Through a Global Health Lens · The American Journal of Bioethics · 2026
- Notes on the political economy of planetary health – with reflections on prospects for the ‘symbiocene’ and the ‘post-modern princess’ · South African Medical Journal · 2026
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