Workshop discusses case studies and recommendations for improving terminology in public health, highlighting discrimination sensitivity in migrant health.
WKS 21: Advancing the debate on responsible terminology on migrant and ethnic minority health within public health: from awareness to guidance and implementation, Auditório B1 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 16:00 - 17:00 Rationales and Purpose Terminology and concepts used in public health research, particularly in relation to migrant and ethnic minority health, were discussed in a workshop at the European Public Health Conference (EPHC) in 2023. The aim was to raise awareness of the problems of using aggregate, vague, and potentially harmful terms and categories that do not consider peoples’ living circumstances. An important outcome of the workshop was the need for developing actionable and practical recommendations for implementing a culture of responsible terminology and concepts in public health research. Methods/Process of Workshop This follow-up-workshop aims to co-create practical recommendations on how to tackle challenges including avoiding stereotyping terminology and oversimplifying categories. To do so, it will include four different perspectives: 1) public health researchers will present case studies promoting anti-discriminatory data collection (Katja Kajikhina), 2) health professionals will highlight the necessity of anti-discriminatory communication in health-care (Anisa M. Ibrahim), 3) journal editors will suggest ways for responsible publishing (Pooja Jha) and, 4) community organizations will discuss the necessity of their participation in public health research and practice (Emma Rawson-Te Patu). Projected Learning Outcomes Concrete ideas will be developed on how the public health community can act against increasing right-wing rhetoric by implementing discrimination-sensitivity in the terminology and categories used in times of intensifying anti-migrant resentment. The aim is not only to set a good example for other researchers, but also to accept the responsibility of public health in difficult political times.
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Kajikhina et al. (2025) studied this question.
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