Reported policy impacts through intersectoral action as a public health practice for health equity: a rapid scoping review

Advancing health equity is a priority for public health. As much of what influences health equity lies outside health systems, working intersectorally to intervene on the structural and social determinants of health is a foundational public health practice to advance this aim. The WHO’s 2025 World Report on the Social Determinants of Health Equity noted that while some progress has been made to advance health equity, work is obstructed by inequitable economic, social and political systems which reinforce existing power structures. This rapid scoping review identifies the reported impact and effectiveness of intersectoral action as a public health practice for health equity through action on the structural and social determinants of health and advances the findings of a 2013 rapid review. A rapid scoping review was conducted to search Ovid Medline and Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index. Articles were included if they were published between 2012–2024; in Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand (NZ), Canada, the United States (US), or the United Kingdom (UK); written in English or French; focused on intersectoral interventions, undertaken by public health in collaboration with sectors outside of health to improve health equity through action on the structural or social determinants of health; and presented related outcomes. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria, including 1 systematic review and 10 primary studies. This rapid scoping review identified reported actual and projected population health impacts, reported impacts on the structural determinants of health (i.e., policy and system wins, culture shift, redistribution of power or intent to do so), reported impacts on the social determinants of health, and tools that enable intersectoral action including authorizing environments, and structured planning and implementation. While there have been notable shifts since the 2013 review, there remain a limited number of published studies on this topic. This review identifies reported impacts on structural and social determinants of health, and on population health outcomes associated with intersectoral collaboration, suggesting the critical role intersectoral action plays in advancing health equity as a promising public health approach.