Health Inequalities Research Group, Employment Conditions Network, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Int J Health Serv. 2010;40(2):209-13. doi: 10.2190/HS.40.2.b.
The authors describe the major methods and sources of information used in the EMCONET study for researching global, employment-related health inequalities. A systematic review of the literature provides valuable knowledge for research in this area. However, the limited number of studies, the poor quality of methods used, and a lack of theories or concepts have produced inconsistent results. To minimize bias from these limitations and to reach a comprehensive understanding of the complexity and health effects of global employment conditions, this article outlines key strategies for a synthetic, comprehensive, participatory approach: adapting transdisciplinary knowledge acquisition, building a theoretical model, employing multiple sources for data collection, and using a variety of methods (qualitative/ quantitative studies and narrative knowledge). This approach provides solutions to important research and policy needs regarding the global context of key employment relations, social mechanisms, and health inequalities. The strategies are adapted to synthesize input from several disciplines (epidemiology, sociology, and political science), social actors, and institutions. The study's main sources of information are a variety of digital, bibliographic databases; the authors reviewed the scientific literature from 1985 to 2008 and books, reports, and other documents from 2000 to 2008.
作者描述了用于研究全球与就业相关健康不平等的 EMCONET 研究中使用的主要方法和信息来源。文献系统综述为该领域的研究提供了有价值的知识。然而，由于研究数量有限、所采用方法的质量较差以及缺乏理论或概念，导致结果不一致。为了最大限度地减少这些局限性带来的偏差，并全面了解全球就业条件的复杂性和对健康的影响，本文概述了综合、全面、参与性方法的关键策略：采用跨学科知识获取、构建理论模型、利用多种数据源进行数据收集以及使用多种方法（定性/定量研究和叙述性知识）。该方法为解决关于关键就业关系、社会机制和健康不平等的全球背景的重要研究和政策需求提供了方案。这些策略适用于综合多个学科（流行病学、社会学和政治学）、社会行为者和机构的投入。本研究的主要信息来源是各种数字、书目数据库；作者对 1985 年至 2008 年的科学文献以及 2000 年至 2008 年的书籍、报告和其他文件进行了综述。
