This blog challenges data collectors to rethink how we frame recovery metrics. Instead of focusing on individual shortcomings, what if our data helped expose—and change—the systems that hinder equitable treatment?
The current health, social justice, violence, and environmental crises call for greater attention to strengthening our communities to care for their members and to take collective action to address the root causes of disadvantage, marginalization, and stress. Strengthening communities, especially those historically disadvantaged, will have the greatest and broadest impact on the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Social and medical research over the past 150 years has shown that…
Healthier students tend to be stronger learners (Busch et al., 2014; Basch, 2011). Student health is related to grades, school attendance, and graduation rates. However, one in three children is overweight or obese (Alliance for Healthier Generation, n.d.). In addition to the connection to poorer education outcomes, childhood obesity is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues in adulthood. Given the long-term educational and health consequences of unhealthy…
The disparities we witness in economic, social, and health outcomes are a manifestation of deep structural inequities in the United States' social hierarchy. These structural inequities appear in various forms but are woven into the very fabric of American society and can be observed across our legal, educational, business, government and health care systems. They occur because of an imbalance in the distribution of political and economic power where favored…
Oral health is an important but often overlooked component of health and well-being. It affects people's quality of life and functioning - one's ability to eat, speak, learn, work, sleep, and socialize with others. Black, Latinx, Native American, poor White, and other marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by the lack of adequate dental care, barriers to receiving care, and consequent negative health outcomes. This article provides a brief overview on…
Much attention has focused on reaching, educating, and enrolling uninsured people in health coverage programs. Getting people health coverage is one way to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health, but it does not achieve health equity-going beyond eliminating differences among groups of people and attaining the highest level of health for everyone. Healthcare coverage alone will not lead to better health if people don't know how to use their…
