Social Epidemiology Explained: Meaning, Impact, and Jobs

Social epidemiology studies the impact of social structures and conditions on the general public’s health. A subfield of epidemiology, social epidemiology determines the social factors that cause disease, identifies the communities likely to experience their greatest effects, and devises ways to remedy their spread. 

If you’re interested in a research-oriented public health career that directly impacts your community, you might consider a career in social epidemiology. 

Read on to learn more about social epidemiology, its impact, and the jobs you can expect to encounter within the field. Ultimately, you’ll also explore flexible online courses to help you get started in the field today. 

What is social epidemiology?

Social epidemiology is a branch of epidemiology that studies the impact social conditions have on population health outcomes. 

Much as the broader field of epidemiology is concerned with tracing the origins of diseases and how to contain or stop their spread, social epidemiology is concerned with understanding the social causes of diseases to remedy their impact on at-risk communities.  Common risk factors that social epidemiologists study include social determinants of health outcomes such as residential segregation, income inequality, and ethnicity. 

While other forms of health research, such as virology, study disease from a biological perspective, social epidemiology considers how social inequalities and health interact to produce adverse outcomes.

Social epidemiology impact 

Social epidemiology increases our understanding of how social factors can impact the health outcomes of the general public and their communities. As a result, the research conducted by social epidemiologists has the potential to guide the development of public policy and help the communities impacted by the political and economic policy decisions that affect many people’s lives. At the same time, social epidemiology increasingly provides a better understanding of ways to expand health and medical care services to communities in need. By successfully implementing health interventions within at-risk communities, social epidemiology has the potential to provide help at both the community and individual levels. 

Social epidemiologist jobs 

Social epidemiology encompasses many of the same jobs as the field at large but with a greater emphasis on the social factors contributing to health disparities. As a result, when job hunting for a social epidemiologist position, don’t be surprised to see many of the same titles as you might see when looking at more general epidemiology positions. 

Some of the job titles you can expect to encounter when searching for a job within social epidemiology include: 

• Social epidemiologist

• Biostatistician

• Infection control epidemiologist

• Supervisory epidemiologist

• Veterinary epidemiologist

Get started with Coursera

A career in epidemiology begins with gaining the education and training to investigate essential modern-day medical mysteries. If you’re considering a career in this impactful public health profession, you might consider taking an online, cost-effective Specialisation through Coursera. 

John Hopkins Epidemiology in Public Health Practice Specialisation prepares learners with the core epidemiologic toolset to measure population health, assess interventions, collect and analyse data, and investigate outbreaks and epidemics.

Imperial College London’s Infectious Disease Modelling Specialisation provides clear instruction in the basic theory of infectious disease modelling alongside practical, hands-on experience of coding models in the programming language R.