A scoping review evaluating interventions that address health outcomes or social determinants of health for multiply marginalized children with disabilities in the United States identified 27 peer-reviewed articles meeting eligibility criteria. The review of literature with original data from 2014 onward found that identified interventions centered on navigating or mitigating downstream consequences of structural inequity rather than altering the conditions producing disparities.
The majority of the 27 included studies were descriptive or pilot and feasibility studies, with only eight incorporating a control or comparison group. Participants were most frequently children with disability broadly where the type was unspecified (n = 14) or children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (n = 10), as well as families with low socioeconomic status (n = 14). Other marginalized identities and circumstances were rarely represented, including immigration status (n = 3), foster care (n = 2), and justice system involvement (n = 1), while no included article reported an intervention for marginalized gender or sexuality.
Slightly over half of the interventions operated at the level of the individual or caregiver (n = 15) compared to professionals or institutions (n = 12). Specific approaches included telehealth integration (n = 2), interprofessional programs and clinics (n = 3), supports for system navigation (n = 4), comprehensive programs for educational and post-secondary attainment (n = 6), and training interventions for individual agency and skill development (n = 12). Evaluated outcomes ranged from program utilization rates to educational attainment, most frequently measuring intervention acceptability (n = 13), while only one study directly measured a health outcome.
Reported involvement of community partners was limited, occurring most commonly only during evaluation (n = 14), with only three studies reporting partner involvement across design, implementation, and evaluation. Based on these findings, the review indicated that future efforts should prioritize shifting the navigation of inequitable systems away from families, address underlying conditions producing disparities, engage multiply marginalized communities as partners across all stages, and attend to long-term sustainability.
Subject of Research: Interventions addressing health outcomes and social determinants for multiply marginalized children with disabilities
Article Title: Advancing health equity: a scoping review of interventions for multiply marginalized children with disabilities in the United States
Article References: Fonteh, A., Mengesha, H., Cyktor, C., Darwin, J., Domingez, D., Felman, K., Henry, Z. P., Houtrow, A. J., Jarvis, J. M., The DIVERSE Collective, Agrawal, R., Ayo-Gbenjo, E. O., Cejas, D., Harris, D., Hamza, A. H., Houlihan, B. V., Kohanzadeh, N., Kuhlthau, K., Ruiz, J., & Serrano, V. J. (2026). Advancing health equity: a scoping review of interventions for multiply marginalized children with disabilities in the United States. BMC Health Services Research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-026-15841-z
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-026-15841-z
Keywords: health equity, children with disabilities, scoping review, social determinants of health, marginalized populations, healthcare interventions, disability research, systemic disparities, Advancing, health, equity, scoping
News Source: Ophelia Keating. (November 7, 2026). Review Examines Interventions for Multiply Marginalized Children with Disabilities. Scienmag.
