Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Environmental Health Workforce: Mapping the Literature and Moving Toward Liberation

Introduction: Diversity, equity, and inclusion, also known as DEI, is an essential topic being discussed across society. The field of environmental health (EH) should certainly not be excluded from the conversation. Objective: The purpose of this mini-review was to map the literature and identify gaps on the topic of DEI in the EH workforce. Methods: A rapid scoping review was conducted using standard synthesis science methods to search and map the published literature. All study titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened by 2 independent reviewers among the authorship team. Results: The search strategy yielded 179 English language papers. Of those, 37 met all inclusion criteria after full text screening. Overall, the majority of the articles had weak or moderate DEI engagement and only 3 articles had strong DEI engagement. Discussion: There is a significant need for additional research in this realm. Future studies should explicitly focus on workforce issues, and attempt to achieve the highest level of the evidence possible for this field. Conclusion: Although DEI initiatives are a step in the right direction, the current evidence suggests that inclusivity and liberation may prove to be more impactful and meaningful constructs to fully advance equity in the EH workforce.