Yanping Ma, Loyola Marymount University
Modeling the Disparate Impact of Epidemics on Disadvantaged Populations
This work presents an extended SIR model that integrates behavioral insights from the Health Belief Model (HBM) to examine the unequal impacts of epidemics on disadvantaged populations. By incorporating a propensity-to-adopt-behavior (PAB) metric and a socio-economic structure variable, the model captures how risk perception and responsiveness to public health messaging affect disease burden. Simulations highlight the influence of messaging strategies—positive, negative, and combined cues—on behavioral change and epidemic outcomes. This work emphasizes the critical role of human behavior and socio-economic factors in shaping disease dynamics and informing equitable public health policy.