Social Determinants of Health

Vulnerable Populations are communities that are at a higher risk for physical and emotional health disparities. These groups generally encounter increased barriers in accessing healthcare due to environmental, social, and economic factors.

While the term "vulnerable populations" is widely used in medical research, there is many critiques of the use of this term, including that it minimize people's lived experiences to just a simple identity checkbox. There may in fact be many layers that contribute to increased risk of health disparities, and labeling marginalized groups as "vulnerable" can lead to further stigmatization (1). 

The National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health notes that, "Vague terms such as vulnerable, marginalized, disadvantaged and priority population are often used to refer to groups living with inequities. Any population can be deemed a priority depending on what the goals of a particular strategy are, which may not necessarily be rooted in social justice. Ambiguity created by vague language can unintentionally shift attention away from addressing the roots of health inequities" (2). At the same time, research databases utilize tools and language that reflect systemic power imbalances. Many medical databases specifically use the term "vulnerable populations," but in the real world, you should prioritize using person-first language that does not further marginalize people. See Let's Talk: Language of Health Equity by the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health for more information on using person-centered language.