Non-inclusive language in human subjects questionnaires: addressing racial, ethnic, heteronormative, and gender bias
Adverse health outcomes disproportionately affect marginalized populations. Utilizing culturally and socially conscious research materials that are inclusive of various identities and experiences is necessary to help remediate these disparities. Our review finds compelling evidence of bias in many widely used data collection instruments. Recommendations for conducting more inclusive science are discussed.
Authors
- Christian Douglas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8902-0531)
- Ixel Hernandez‐Castro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4572-4163)
- Emily A. Knapp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3953-9874)
- Velia Nuñez
- Vincent Breton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8197-7080)
- Judy L. Aschner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8420-7794)
- Kate E. Keenan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1775-8171)
- Luis E. Maldonado (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4550-9241)
- A. J. Parsons (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7441-1855)
- Lorena Reynaga
- Dale R. Sumner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9575-3862)
- Lisa Croen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7849-9428)
- Garrett Fuselier
- Mark A. Elliott (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3539-6426)
- Max T. Aung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5541-5447)
- Helen A. Weiss (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3547-7936)
- Jody M. Ganiban (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5908-6644)
- Theresa M. Bastain (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0029-5641)
- Rachel A. Morello-Frosch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1153-7287)
- Elissa Z. Faro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5910-4056)
- Isabella Hernandez
- Kath Wright (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9020-1572)
- Johnnye Lewis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0141-7679)
- Anne Lang Dunlop (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5092-8136)
- Stanford
- Karina Corona (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4489-366X)
- O’Connor
- Natalia Duarte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5052-4273)
- Kennedy Stewart
- Carmen Vélez Vega
- O’Shea
- Du
- Kannan
- Fennell
- Teitelbaum
- Alshawabkeh
- Camargo
- Dabelea
- Deoni
- Dunlop
- Ferrara
- Gern
- Hertz-Picciotto
- Hipwell
- Karagas
- Karr
- Lester
- Leve
- MacKenzie
- McEvoy
- Lyall
- Oken
- Kerver
- Herbstman
- Schantz
- Trasande
Institutions
- University of Southern California (US)
- University of Iowa (US)
- Kaiser Permanente (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Emory University (US)
- California State University, Northridge (US)
- University of New Mexico (US)
- RTI International (US)
- George Washington University (US)
- University of Puerto Rico System (PR)
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- University of Chicago (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2025-10-31
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25038-4
- Primary Topic
- Sex and Gender in Healthcare
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Northwestern University
- Johns Hopkins University
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Duke Clinical Research Institute