The concept of the risk environment and riсs factors in the social-epidemiological studies of public health

Rhodes’ concept of the risk environment became the dominant heuristic tool in the social epidemiological studies of issues connected to HIV/AIDS and HCV in the decade after the publication of the first theoretical paper (2002) on the concept. Even though the concept of risk environment has been widely utilized in a number of papers on the issue, it has not been theoretically expanded on – there has been no clearer highlighting of risk factors – a key part of the concept – not has it been expanded in order to be applicable to a wider range of public health topics, with an accent on vulnerability, marginality and marginalization, which is the topic and aim of this paper.