Utilizing the CT Health Equity Index, GIS, and Community Engagement to Address Health Inequities

The Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Inc., has developed a health equity index, a tool that provides a way to conceptualize and measure the influence of community context on population health and health disparities at a neighborhood level. It is based on a set of nine Social Determinants linked to health status: Economic Security, Livelihood and Employment, Education, Environmental Quality, Health Care Access, Housing, Civic Involvement, Community Safety, and Transportation. Components specify sub-categories within each determinant and indicators within each component provide measures of specific characteristics or conditions. Indicator data are categorized into a six-point scale ranging from low to high, i.e. the more favorable a specific condition the higher the score. Indicator, Determinant and overall Index scores are statistically analyzed against demographic and health outcome data. Preliminary statistical testing of the instrument has been conducted within 20 neighborhoods in Connecticut. Findings indicate that a lower HEI score is correlated with higher levels of chronic disease, injuries, emergency admissions, premature mortality and higher rates of communicable diseases. The findings are measurable and evidence-based, providing associations that link health outcomes with economic, environmental, and social indicators. Community planners, activists, organizations, and decision-makers can be provided with meaningful local data that reveals linkages between root causes and health inequities. This creates a platform for identifying potential policy or regulatory changes to address inequities.