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Structural stigma: A systematic review of existing measures.

Year: 2025
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Researchers interested in structural stigma have used a variety of operationalizations and measures of this concept, which can create difficulties in the selection of appropriate measures, as well as in the comparison and interpretation of findings from different studies. We report on a systematic review of existing measures to facilitate further research in this important field. A total of 21,365 articles were screened, and 337 were included in the review. We found substantial variety and breadth of operationalizations and measures, from proportion of group members living in poverty to perceived workplace discrimination. Generally, measures varied in how objective/subjective they are, who provides the ratings, the domains rated, and the structure or level at which ratings are provided. This review will assist researchers to consider what type of measure is appropriate for their study, use a range of measures to provide complementary evidence from different perspectives, and interpret findings by reference to how they were obtained. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved) Researchers have become increasingly interested in how social inequalities, such as health inequalities, are shaped by stigma at the structural level. This systematic review summarizes existing measures of structural stigma to facilitate further research and interpretations of findings. Measures were very diverse, and varied in how objective/subjective they are, who provides the ratings, the domains rated, and the structure or level at which ratings are provided. We discuss the shortcomings of the different approaches and the advantages of using multiple measures to offer complementary insights in this important area of research.
DOI: 10.1037/sah0000671
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4416995248
FWCI: 0.334
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Cited by: 1
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