The Concept of the Risk Environment and Risk Factors in the Social-Epidemiological Studies of Public Health

Abstract

Rhodes’ concept of the risk environment became the dominant heuristic tool in the social epidemiological studies of issues connected to HIV/AIDS and HCV in the decade after the publication of the first theoretical paper (2002) on the concept. Even though the concept of risk environment has been widely utilized in a number of papers on the issue, it has not been theoretically expanded on – there has been no clearer highlighting of risk factors – a key part of the concept – not has it been expanded in order to be applicable to a wider range of public health topics, with an accent on vulnerability, marginality and marginalization, which is the topic and aim of this paper.

Keywords

• risk environment
• risk factors
• social/cultural anthropology
• public health
• social health vulnerability
• marginal and marginalized social groups