Counting a Diverse Nation: Disaggregating Data on Race and Ethnicity to Advance a Culture of Health

Counting a Diverse Nation: Disaggregating Data on Race and Ethnicity to Advance a Culture of Health

"Racial and ethnic health disparities and inequities can only be eliminated if high-quality information is available by which to track immediate problems and the underlying social determinants of health. Such information can guide the design and application of culturally specific approaches to medicine and public health. Often, health outcomes are disaggregated only by broad racial and ethnic categories such as White, Black, or Hispanic. However, the great, and growing, diversity of the American population means that people’s actual experiences are much more specific.

The U.S. has numerous compelling reasons to build and maintain a much more robust practice of disaggregating data below the level of major racial groups and to link these data to the factors that influence health. Improving how we create, understand, and handle disaggregated data about race and ethnicity is central to the pursuit of health equity and a deeper appreciation of American society overall..."

Read the full report from Policy Link.

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Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment: Equity Action Guide

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment: Equity Action Guide

"Where we live, work, learn and play has a lasting impact on our health. The social facors that create health disparities also cause disparities in areas such as housing and transportation. The Office of Health Equity, in partnership with community organizations and other state agencies, developed a Colorado Equity Action Guide that looks at the root causes of inequity across Colorado through an in-depth review of community characteristics, stories and data. It leverages cross-sector collaboration and promotes data-sharing for sustainable community informed decision-making to advance equity."

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

To access the guide, please click here.

 

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The Health Opportunity and Equity Initiative (HOPE)

The Health Opportunity and Equity Initiative (HOPE)

"The Health Opportunity and Equity (HOPE) Initiative, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was launched to start a new conversation about health because we believe that every person in the U.S., no matter their background or ZIP code, should have a fair and just opportunity for the best possible health and well-being.

The HOPE Initiative tracks 28 indicators that span the life course, including health outcomes and indicators related to opportunity such as socioeconomic factors, the physical and social environment, and access to health care at the state and national level. Gaps in health do not develop by chance or by choice. These measures were chosen because they reflect the systems and policies that affect health equity. Data are also provided by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, making this the first tool of its kind..."

To learn more about Health Opportunity and Equity Initiative, visit the website here.

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NIH Funded Scientists Put Socioeconomic Data on Map

NIH Funded Scientists Put Socioeconomic Data on Map

The Neighborhood Atlas, a new tool to help researchers visualize socioeconomic data at the community level is now available. This online platform allows for easily ranking and mapping neighborhoods according to socioeconomic disadvantage. Seeing a neighborhood’s socioeconomic measures, such as income, education, employment and housing quality, may provide clues to the effects of those factors on overall health, and could inform health resources policy and social interventions. 

To view the tool, please click here.

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California's Healthy Places Index

California's Healthy Places Index

The California Healthy Places Index (HPI) is a powerful new tool, developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California (Alliance) in partnership with the Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center on Society and Health, that can be used to explore and change those community conditions that predict life expectancy. The purpose of the HPI is to prioritize public and private investments, resources and programs.

The California Healthy Places Index tool can be found here.

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Six Projects Use Data to Improve Health Equity

Six Projects Use Data to Improve Health Equity

The Health Impact Project launched an 18-month initiative in February 2016 that funded six projects aimed at addressing pressing health concerns in Southern and Appalachian states. Grantees targeted housing, education, neighborhood planning, and other sectors that are linked to disparities in health. Take a closer look at each of the projects in this piece from the Pew Charitable Trust.

Rebecca Morley and Emily Beaver | June 1, 2017

This piece is from The Pew Charitable Trust.

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HOLC "redlining" maps: The persistent structure of segregation and economic inequality

HOLC "redlining" maps: The persistent structure of segregation and economic inequality

Eighty years ago, a federal agency, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) created “Residential Security” maps of major American cities. These maps document how loan officers, appraisers, and real estate professionals evaluated mortgage lending risk during the era immediately before the surge of suburbanization in the 1950’s. Neighborhoods considered high risk, or “Hazardous” were often “redlined” by lending institutions, denying them access to capital investment which could improve the housing and economic opportunity of residents.

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