Objectives

A process evaluation was conducted to examine the adaptation of the equity-focused plan within the COEP to assess whether the administration of the project plans was carried out as intended.

Methods

An online 36-item survey was conducted through Qualtrics among COEP residents to assess the community’s awareness of health equity, social determinants of health, knowledge of the policy modification process in the COEP, and their attitudes on how the COEP government communicates with residents. All survey participants received a $25 gift card.

Results

Of the 81 respondents, most respondents identified as female (84%), and Black (73%). Approximately 54% of respondents were familiar with the definition of health equity, and 49% were involved in community programs aimed at reducing health disparities in the COEP. About 80% of respondents suggested that the COEP should adopt policies that advance health equity. Most of the respondents endorsed policy implementation that addresses the social determinants of health through increased access to affordable housing (89%), healthy foods (89%), and grocery stores (84%). However, 71% of respondents were unaware of policy modifications from the COEP government, and 81% were not knowledgeable of how COEP policies reduce health disparities. Notably, 82% of participants expressed that the COEP government is not good at communicating information to the community.

Conclusion

The study findings illustrated that although most participants recognized the importance of health equity and policies that mitigate health inequalities, a substantial proportion of respondents were unaware of recent policy changes within the city.

Public Health Implications

These findings highlight an urgent need to bridge the gap between policymakers and CEOP residents, to ensure community voices are heard and incorporated into policy development processes, and the importance of improving government communication with COEP residents.