Toward a conceptual framework of economic security for health research: a scoping review
10 affiliations
- 1VA Bedford Healthcare System
- 2Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School
- 3VA Boston Healthcare System
- 4Department of Psychiatry and Harvard Medical School
- 5VA Connecticut Healthcare System
- 6Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
- 7National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
- 8Department of Management, Policy, and Community Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- 9Veteran Employment and Economic Security Research Consortium, VA North Texas Health Care System
- 10Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Abstract
Background: Personal economic security, including stable income, employment, affordable housing, and protection against economic shocks, is fundamental to health. However, multiple and varied frameworks exist for defining or measuring economic security in health research and practice.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the economic (in)security literature published 2015–2025. We searched PubMed and PsycINFO for articles that defined or measured economic (in)security, or that examined the impact of economic (in)security on health-related outcomes. From 881 sources, 53 articles were reviewed. Definitions and methods of operationalizing economic security were extracted and coded based on thematic dimensions, domains, and sub-domains.
Results: There is wide variability in definitions and measurement of economic security. Economic security was defined multi-dimensionally across thematic domains, subjectivity and objectivity, and temporal dimensions (present versus future risk). Operationally, six domain areas of economic security were identified: income/finances, healthcare, employment, housing, food, and wealth/assets.
Conclusions: This six-domain framework of economic security for health research provides a foundation for more consistent measurement, improved intervention design, and specification of pathways linking economic conditions to health outcomes. Further investigation is needed to examine the framework's utility in elucidating economic security's multi-dimensional nature and devising measurement strategies to advance the science and practice of improving economic security.
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BibTeX
@article{stevenson2026toward,
title = {{Toward a conceptual framework of economic security for health research: a scoping review}},
author = {Brian J. Stevenson and Amanda K. Falcón and Bo Kim and Taylor Hunt and Marc I. Rosen and Jack Tsai and Kendra E. Pugh and Mayumi O. Gianoli and James P. LePage},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1887796},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1887796/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Toward a conceptual framework of economic security for health research: a scoping review
AU - Brian J. Stevenson
AU - Amanda K. Falcón
AU - Bo Kim
AU - Taylor Hunt
AU - Marc I. Rosen
AU - Jack Tsai
AU - Kendra E. Pugh
AU - Mayumi O. Gianoli
AU - James P. LePage
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1887796
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1887796/full
AB - Background: Personal economic security, including stable income, employment, affordable housing, and protection against economic shocks, is fundamental to health. However, multiple and varied frameworks exist for defining or measuring economic security in health research and practice. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of the economic (in)security literature published 2015–2025. We searched PubMed and PsycINFO for articles that defined or measured economic (in)security, or that examined the impact of economic (in)security on health-related outcomes. From 881 sources, 53 articles were reviewed. Definitions and methods of operationalizing economic security were extracted and coded based on thematic dimensions, domains, and sub-domains. Results: There is wide variability in definitions and measurement of economic security. Economic security was defined multi-dimensionally across thematic domains, subjectivity and objectivity, and temporal dimensions (present versus future risk). Operationally, six domain areas of economic security were identified: income/finances, healthcare, employment, housing, food, and wealth/assets. Conclusions: This six-domain framework of economic security for health research provides a foundation for more consistent measurement, improved intervention design, and specification of pathways linking economic conditions to health outcomes. Further investigation is needed to examine the framework's utility in elucidating economic security's multi-dimensional nature and devising measurement strategies to advance the science and practice of improving economic security.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -