Rethinking health inequities: Social and Economic Inclusion (SEI) and the case of 'Lone Mothers'

This project will develop a research programme aimed at improving the health of lone mothers in Atlantic Canada. Notwithstanding a decade or more of research on the social determinants of health, we still seem unable to reduce health disparities and the vulnerabilities of disadvantaged groups, particularly women. The need to develop more sustained and integrated approaches to solving the problems faced by vulnerable populations cannot be overstated. This is especially true for marginalized groups in poorer regions of the country, such as Atlantic Canada, which tend to be hardest hit ¿ both by illness and by economic and social exclusion. Women are among the most vulnerable groups in this disadvantaged region of the country, and women raising children alone are at greatest risk of illness and exclusion. While recent research suggests that the social and economic circumstances of lone mothers in Canada has improved, many programmes and policies remain insensitive, irrelevant or even antithetical to their needs. The primary objective of this project is to develop a research programme that will ultimately decrease the health disparities and vulnerability of lone mothers in Atlantic Canada, and improve their health. An analysis of social and economic exclusion and inclusion can help us to understand both the depth of the problems faced by vulnerable groups in the region and the possibilities of finding appropriate public policy solutions that reduce health disparities nationally.