Using Healthy People as a Tool to Identify Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity.

BACKGROUND: As research into the health of different segments of the American population continues to advance, data show inequalities in health outcomes depending on a variety of characteristics, including income and education levels, gender identity, race and ethnicity, and disability status. The Healthy People initiative explores how specific population groups perform for 10-year objectives, including the Leading Health Indicators, which are a broad set of metrics that track issues from health behaviors to determinants of one's health. FINDINGS: The data show that, when it comes to health, the playing field for all Americans is not even. At the close of Healthy People 2020, an assessment of the Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicators showed that threats to the health of every American vary dependent on who they are, where and how they live, and the community they were born into. DISCUSSION: Healthy People 2030 places an emphasis on continued research into these health indicators to uncover how different these realities are for different population groups and to inform and guide effective health policies and interventions in the years ahead.

How Do We Define and Measure Health Equity? The State of Current Practice and Tools to Advance Health Equity.

INTRODUCTION: Healthy People establishes national goals and specific measurable objectives to improve the health and well-being of the nation. An overarching goal of Healthy People 2030 is to "eliminate health disparities, achieve health equity, and attain health literacy to improve the health and well-being of all." To inform Healthy People 2030 health equity and health disparities content and products, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), in collaboration with NORC at the University of Chicago, conducted a review of peer-reviewed and gray literature to examine how health equity is defined, conceptualized, and measured by public health professionals. METHODS: We reviewed (1) peer-reviewed literature, (2) HHS and other public health organization Web sites, and (3) state and territorial health department plans. We also conducted targeted searches of the gray literature to identify tools and recommendations for measuring health equity. RESULTS: While definitions of health equity identified in the scan varied, they often addressed similar concepts, including "highest level of health for all people," "opportunity for all," and "absence of disparities." Measuring health equity is challenging; however, strategies to measure and track progress toward health equity have emerged. There are a range of tools and resources that have the potential to help decision makers address health equity, such as health impact assessments, community health improvement plans, and adapting a Health in All Policies approach. Tools that visualize health equity data also support data-driven decision making. DISCUSSION: Using similar language when discussing health equity will help align and advance efforts to improve health and well-being for all. Healthy People objectives, measures, and targets can help public health professionals advance health equity in their work. HHS ODPHP continues to develop Healthy People tools and resources to support public health professionals as they work with cross-sector partners to achieve health equity.

Young People and HIV: A Call to Action.

HIV is having a significant impact on young people, among whom the rate of new diagnoses is high and health disparities are more pronounced. Incidence is increasing among young gay and bisexual men, and, among Black males, the largest percentage of new infections occur among those aged between 13 and 24 years. Youths are least likely to experience the health and prevention benefits of treatment. Nearly half of young people with HIV are not diagnosed; among those diagnosed, nearly a quarter are not linked to care, and three quarters are not virally suppressed. Addressing this burden will require renewed efforts to implement effective prevention strategies across multiple sectors, including educational, social, policy, and health care systems that influence prevention knowledge, service use, and treatment options for youths.