Data to the people: Social determinants, place, and the 2011 Baltimore City Neighborhood Health Profiles

The 2011 Neighborhood Health Profiles were developed to facilitate a shift in how communities think about health, articulating a robust spectrum of health determinants that have not been discussed/shared as part of standard public health practice to date. While the 2008 Profiles proved valuable, they only included health outcomes data. The 2011 Profiles not only contain neighborhood-specific health data (e.g. life expectancy), but also data on the underlying factors that affect health in each neighborhood—the social determinants of health. The 2011 Profiles will thus allow residents and city officials to not only identify priority health issues, but also to identify underlying conditions that are immediately actionable.

The 2011 Profiles contain over 30 SDH indicators in 5 broad areas, including: socioeconomic factors (e.g. poverty, unemployment), education (e.g. kindergarten readiness), community built and social environment (e.g. vacant buildings, tobacco and alcohol retail, non-fatal shootings), housing (lead paint violations, energy cutoffs), and the food environment (e.g. fastfood, carryout density). Data were gathered from nearly a dozen previously untapped sources, analyzed, geocoded, and mapped at the neighborhood level to elucidate key determinants of health inequities and their distribution throughout the city. The end product is a tool for empowering communities with a more complete understanding of what shapes health and where they can intercede and demand accountability at the policy/systems level. This presentation will detail the process from data source identification, indicator selection, and report development, as well as planned policy and civic engagement strategies. Maps and data will be presented.