Incorporating social environment data in infectious disease research

Abstract

Research on pathogens such as tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and cholera have long considered the importance of the environment—particularly the social environment—for understanding population patterns of infectious diseases and their inequities. However, a growing body of research has begun extending such approaches more broadly in infectious disease research. At a fundamental level, the social environment can impact infectious disease risk in two ways: by affecting a person's frequency or duration of exposure to pathogens, or by affecting their susceptibility to infection.