A new study by researchers at the Prevention Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis and the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors surveyed public health departments in the U.S. to understand current health equity-related work practices and to identify ways to bolster equity-focused work in chronic disease prevention and control efforts.
Recently published in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, the study identifies areas of progress on equity, gaps in practice, and where to target technical assistance, capacity building efforts, and accreditation planning. The study is among the first on the important subject of health equity in public health practice.
"There is an urgency in addressing health equity and our data suggest considerable room for enhancing health equity practices in state and territorial public health," conclude the authors, led by Ross Brownson, the Steven H. and Susan U. Lipstein Distinguished Professor at the Brown School. "Public health departments play critical roles in addressing these disparities via sustained efforts to improve health equity."
