Quantitative approaches to structural intersectionality research: Conceptual and methodologic considerations

There has been a recent influx in the development of novel measures of structural forms of discrimination, including structural racism, xenophobia, sexism, heterosexism, and cisgenderism. These systems of power and oppression are inherently interdependent and mutually constitutive, yet a paucity of research has investigated their joint impacts; this gap is likely reflective of the limited guidance that exists regarding how to effectively combine multiple measures of structural discrimination to examine their joint impacts on population health and health inequities. In this commentary, we seek to redress this by describing conceptual and methodologic considerations for population health researchers interested in conducting quantitative structural intersectionality research - an intersectionality-informed research approach focused on examining how systems of power and oppression intersect to shape population health and health inequities. Developing best practices for measuring and analyzing the joint impacts of structural forms of discrimination is crucial for effectively describing and quantifying their impacts on population health and health inequities, and for informing interventions, laws, and policies to advance health equity and social justice.