Quantifying With CARE: A Framework for Applying Critical Epistemologies in Quantitative Health Research

Quantitative health research remains anchored in positivist assumptions that can obscure structural drivers of inequity. This article introduces the CARE Model-Community-accountability, Anti-oppression, Reflexivity, and Equity-centered evidence-to align quantitative methods with critical epistemologies. Drawing on critical theories, qualitative methodology, and existing critical quantitative approaches, the proposed model details implications for study design, measurement, coding strategies, modeling choices, interpretation, and dissemination. CARE offers a systematic approach for rigorous, reflexive, and community-guided inquiry that reframes variables, integrates structural context, and informs action. The model advances quantitative research that not only documents disparities but also targets the systems that produce them.