From the new deal to neoliberalism: Why sociopolitical factors matter for maternal, infant and child health: A critical review

While scholars have demonstrated the importance of sociopolitical and economic factors for social outcomes across a host of domains, these considerations have not been as impactful in public health research. Public health scholars have largely taken a risk factor approach to identify the antecedents of negative health outcomes. We review literature on Maternal, Infant and Child Health (MICH) during distinct but contrasting policy periods—the New Deal and Neoliberalism—to examine the role sociopolitical factors play on public health outcomes in the U.S. After discussing the development of public policy responses to negative MICH outcomes, and the stratifying effects of public health administration, we examine the effects of concentrated disadvantage and the implications of two health related policy phenomenon, welfare reform and mass incarceration, that need further consideration in the public health literature. We call on public health scholars to move beyond the risk factor approach, while challenging researchers and strategic healthcare planners to consider the ways in which the sociopolitical context of public health policy contributes to the manner in which population-based health problems are conceptualized and implemented.