Social support refers to the interactive process between individuals within social networks that leads to improved physical and mental health. Social support is an environmental factor comprising network structure and function within social networks. Social support, social reinforcement, or social nurturing enables individuals to receive love, care, recognition, and respect while fostering mutual bonds and a sense of belonging within the same society. It involves various forms of assistance and consists of four key components:

1) Emotional support

2) Instrumental support

3) Informational support

4) Appraisal support

Social Determinants of Health (SDH) refers to the environments in which people are born, grow, work, and live, and the systems that shape daily life conditions, such as economic policies and systems, development agendas, social norms, social policies, and political systems (World Health Organization). The concept of SDH reveals the complexity of health issues and introduces three key new paradigms in public health care, such as (1) Looking at disease and illness factors beyond individual-level factors, genetic or physiological factors, or behavioral factors, (2) Considering holistic factors that affect health throughout an individual’s entire lifespan, and (3) Increasing the role of disease prevention rather than medical treatment.

         SDH significantly influences health equity issues, which are unfair and avoidable differences in health status both within and between countries, regardless of income level. People’s health and illness vary according to social hierarchy-the lower one’s socioeconomic status, the greater the tendency for poor health outcomes.

        These factors extend beyond individual behaviors like eating, sleeping, and exercise, to include:

Income and financial security: Lower-income individuals often have less access to quality food, safe housing, and healthcare services

Education: Quality education provides people with the necessary skills and knowledge for making better health decisions

Housing and environment: Unsanitary, crowded, or dangerous environments negatively affect physical and mental health

Healthcare access: Poor or rural populations often face difficulties accessing healthcare services

Community safety: Communities with high violence levels impact both mental and physical health

The Dahlgren-Whitehead Rainbow Model

The model was developed by Göran Dahlgren and Margaret Whitehead in 1991

Empowerment refers to promoting and developing individuals, organizations, and communities to enhance their capabilities, emphasizing public participation from problem identification through root cause analysis, leading to a sense of power and control over their living conditions or lives.

For the empowerment of research processes/work, especially research involving vulnerable populations, it is essential to focus on four fundamental principles including, 

Respecting and uniting members of vulnerable groups includes: practicing culturally sensitive research, practicing gender-sensitive research, avoiding labeling and Blaming, using explicit, supportive language, using a continuum to measure variables, and developing policy applications

Prevent harmful and maximize benefits by focusing on preventing potential dangers and ensuring maximum benefits for vulnerable populations from the research

Affirm participants and colleagues

Give something back to the participants: The research empowerment must provide something in return to ensure that everyone involved in the research not only receives personal appreciation but also gains tangible benefits from their interactive experiences with researchers/workers, practitioners, and vulnerable population participants