 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Arnold Perkins and Anita L. Siegel, MPH. Office of the Director, Alameda County Public Health Department, 1000 Broadway, Suite 500, Oakland, CA 94607, (510) 267-8000, aperkins@co.alameda.ca.us
This session describes the framework for reducing health disparities in Alameda County, including an overview of health disparities and intermediate outcomes. Health disparity literature and statistics were reviewed in order to identify some of the most promising approaches to reducing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences in health. Additionally, social determinants and other underlying causes of health disparities, as affected by policies both within and beyond the public health sector were identified, and will be explored further during the session. Using the above information, the Public Health Department is working to better position itself to address and ultimately reduce health disparities in Alameda County. A framework for reducing health disparities has been created, and five intermediate outcomes have been identified around creating healthy public policy, improving neighborhood living conditions (food, safety, housing), implementing population-level prevention, strengthening public health department infrastructure and strengthening community capacity building. These intermediate outcomes as well as the ultimate health outcomes will be discussed during the session. The Alameda County Public Health Department has begun the process of accurately documenting racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences in health as well developing a framework for reducing health disparities in Alameda County. However, the real challenge will be in changing the social and economic conditions that actually cause these inequities, as affected by policies both within and beyond the public health sector. Identifying and discussing these challenges will be the final part of the session.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Health Disparities,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.