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Unveiling the Impact: A Scoping Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effects on Racialized Populations in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Menna Komeiha

    (Upstream Lab, MAP, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada)

  • Iryna Artyukh

    (Upstream Lab, MAP, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada)

  • Oluwasegun J. Ogundele

    (Upstream Lab, MAP, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada)

  • Q. Jane Zhao

    (Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada)

  • Notisha Massaquoi

    (Department of Health and Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, Scarborough, ON M1C 1A4, Canada)

  • Sharon Straus

    (Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
    Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
    Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
    Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada)

  • Fahad Razak

    (Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada)

  • Benita Hosseini

    (Upstream Lab, MAP, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
    Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada
    Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada)

  • Navindra Persaud

    (Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
    Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada)

  • Sharmistha Mishra

    (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
    Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
    Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada)

  • Azza Eissa

    (Upstream Lab, MAP, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
    Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
    Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
    Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada)

  • Mathieu Isabel

    (Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
    Family Medicine Department, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada)

  • Andrew D. Pinto

    (Upstream Lab, MAP, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON M5B 1T8, Canada
    Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada
    Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
    Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada)

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racialized communities and individuals in Canada. Methods: This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and the PRISMA-ScR guidance on reporting scoping reviews. Ovid MEDLINE ALL, Embase Classic + Embase, CINAHL (Ebsco platform), PsycINFO, and Cochrane were searched for documents that were published after March 2020 and that reported on the social and economic impacts and health outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic on generally healthy racialized populations that reside in Canada. Synthesis: A total of 39 documents were included in this review. Our results show racialized communities faced greater social, economic, and health impacts from the pandemic. These impacts were manifested in the form of high COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates, increased discrimination, worsening mental health, difficulty in accessing healthcare, and challenges related to accessing food and basic necessities. Conclusion: Canadian racialized groups have been inequitably affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to pre-existing inequalities and emerging discrimination. Responsive policy action and robust pandemic preparedness efforts are indispensable in adopting a proactive stance to prevent racialized populations from bearing a disproportionate burden of negative health crises in the future. This necessitates addressing pre-existing disparities and targeting social and economic vulnerability areas. By doing so, we can mitigate the reported social, economic, and health impacts experienced by racialized groups, including challenges related to accessing basic necessities, deteriorating mental health, and barriers to healthcare access.

Suggested Citation

  • Menna Komeiha & Iryna Artyukh & Oluwasegun J. Ogundele & Q. Jane Zhao & Notisha Massaquoi & Sharon Straus & Fahad Razak & Benita Hosseini & Navindra Persaud & Sharmistha Mishra & Azza Eissa & Mathieu , 2025. "Unveiling the Impact: A Scoping Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effects on Racialized Populations in Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(7), pages 1-27, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:7:p:1054-:d:1691728
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Veenstra, Gerry, 2009. "Racialized identity and health in Canada: Results from a nationally representative survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 538-542, August.
    2. Janet Kemei & Mia Tulli & Adedoyin Olanlesi-Aliu & Modupe Tunde-Byass & Bukola Salami, 2023. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Black Communities in Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Weiwei Zhang & Deepthi Kolady, 2022. "The COVID-19 pandemic’s unequal socioeconomic impacts on minority groups in the United States," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 47(33), pages 1019-1032.
    4. Martens, P.J. & Chateau, D.G. & Burland, E.M.J. & Finlayson, G.S. & Smith, M.J. & Taylor, C.R. & Brownell, M.D. & Nickel, N.C. & Katz, A. & Bolton, J.M. & Burchill, C. & Chartier, M. & Doupe, M. & Fra, 2014. "The effect of neighborhood socioeconomic status on education and health outcomes for children living in social housing," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(11), pages 2103-2113.
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