scholarly journals Training Public Health Students in Racial Justice and Health Equity

2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492110156
Author(s):  
Caroline E. Chandler ◽  
Caitlin R. Williams ◽  
Mallory W. Turner ◽  
Meghan E. Shanahan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Racial Justice ◽  
Race And Racism ◽  
Structural Racism ◽  
Rigorous Evaluation ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
Fundamental Cause

In an attempt to move the field of public health from documenting health disparities to acting to rectify them, in 2001, the American Public Health Association (APHA) recognized racism as a fundamental cause of racial health disparities. Both APHA and the Council on Education for Public Health have moved to incorporate new competencies in health equity for public health professionals. As schools and programs of public health work to establish curricular offerings in race and racism, a need exists to identify approaches currently in use that can be replicated, adapted, and scaled. This systematic review sought to identify pedagogical methods and curricula that exist to support the training of US public health students in understanding racism as a structural determinant of health. We found 11 examples from peer-reviewed literature of curricula, lessons, and competencies that have been developed by public health faculty and departments since 2006. The articles discussed a range of approaches to teaching about structural racism in public health, suggesting that little consensus may exist on how to best teach this material. Furthermore, we found little rigorous evaluation of these teaching methods and curricula. The results of this review suggest future research is needed on public health pedagogy on structural racism.

Preparing Public Health Professionals to Address Social Injustices Through Critical Service-Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 237337992110071
Author(s):  
R. Tyler Derreth ◽  
Vanya C. Jones ◽  
Mindi B. Levin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Social Change ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Racial Justice ◽  
Public Health Professionals

The 2020 summer of protests for racial justice amid continued police violence coupled with the widening health disparities due to COVID-19 have made the need for social change and community-informed public health practice abundantly clear. Public health professionals need to combine public health knowledge with collaboration, communication, and reflection to address these health disparities and social injustices. Likewise, as public health educators, we need to develop curricula that train students in these complex skills in order to be effective practitioners. To do this, public health schools and programs should adopt critical service-learning as a central pedagogy in curricula because it is specifically designed to address our current crises with its combination of practice, research, and reflection that together aims for social change. As a means of institutionalizing the pedagogy, faculty can practice and advocate for resources as faculty champions of service-learning.

Social Capital, Black Social Mobility, and Health Disparities

2022 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keon L. Gilbert ◽  
Yusuf Ransome ◽  
Lorraine T. Dean ◽  
Jerell DeCaille ◽  
Ichiro Kawachi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Black People ◽  
The United States ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Structural Racism

This review aims to delineate the role of structural racism in the formation and accumulation of social capital and to describe how social capital is leveraged and used differently between Black and White people as a response to the conditions created by structural racism. We draw on critical race theory in public health praxis and restorative justice concepts to reimagine a race-conscious social capital agenda. We document how American capitalism has injured Black people and Black communities’ unique construction of forms of social capital to combat systemic oppression. The article proposes an agenda that includes communal restoration that recognizes forms of social capital appreciated and deployed by Black people in the United States that can advance health equity and eliminate health disparities. Developing a race-conscious social capital framing that is inclusive of and guided by Black community members and academics is critical to the implementation of solutions that achieve racial and health equity and socioeconomic mobility. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 43 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Education for Public Health: A Practical Foundation for Solidarity

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Perkiö ◽  
R Harrison ◽  
M Grivna ◽  
D Tao ◽  
C Evashwich
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Rigorous Evaluation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Professionals

Abstract Education is a key to creating solidary among the professionals who advance public health’s interdisciplinary mission. Our assumption is that if all those who work in public health shared core knowledge and the skills for interdisciplinary interaction, collaboration across disciplines, venues, and countries would be facilitated. Evaluation of education is an essential element of pedagogy to ensure quality and consistency across boundaries, as articulated by the UNESCO education standards. Our study examined the evaluation studies done by programs that educate public health professionals. We searched the peer reviewed literature published in English between 2000-2017 pertaining to the education of the public health workforce at a degree-granting level. The 2442 articles found covered ten health professions disciplines and had lead authors representing all continents. Only 86 articles focused on evaluation. The majority of the papers examined either a single course, a discipline-specific curriculum or a teaching method. No consistent methodologies could be discerned. Methods ranged from sophisticated regression analyses and trends tracked over time to descriptions of focus groups and interviews of small samples. We found that evaluations were primarily discipline-specific, lacked rigorous methodology in many instances, and that relatively few examined competencies or career expectations. The public health workforce enjoys a diversity of disciplines but must be able to come together to share diverse knowledge and skills. Evaluation is critical to achieving a workforce that is well trained in the competencies pertinent to collaboration. This study informs the pedagogical challenges that must be confronted going forward, starting with a commitment to shared core competencies and to consistent and rigorous evaluation of the education related to training public health professionals. Key messages Rigorous evaluation is not sufficiently used to enhance the quality of public health education. More frequent use of rigorous evaluation in public health education would enhance the quality of public health workforce, and enable cross-disciplinary and international collaboration for solidarity.

scholarly journals Call to Action: Structural Racism as a Fundamental Driver of Health Disparities: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Churchwell ◽  
Mitchell S.V. Elkind ◽  
Regina M. Benjamin ◽  
April P. Carson ◽  
Edward K. Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
American Heart Association ◽  
American Heart ◽  
Heart Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Structural Racism ◽  
Fundamental Cause

Structural racism has been and remains a fundamental cause of persistent health disparities in the United States. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and multiple others have been reminders that structural racism persists and restricts the opportunities for long, healthy lives of Black Americans and other historically disenfranchised groups. The American Heart Association has previously published statements addressing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk and disparities among racial and ethnic groups in the United States, but these statements have not adequately recognized structural racism as a fundamental cause of poor health and disparities in cardiovascular disease. This presidential advisory reviews the historical context, current state, and potential solutions to address structural racism in our country. Several principles emerge from our review: racism persists; racism is experienced; and the task of dismantling racism must belong to all of society. It cannot be accomplished by affected individuals alone. The path forward requires our commitment to transforming the conditions of historically marginalized communities, improving the quality of housing and neighborhood environments of these populations, advocating for policies that eliminate inequities in access to economic opportunities, quality education, and health care, and enhancing allyship among racial and ethnic groups. Future research on racism must be accelerated and should investigate the joint effects of multiple domains of racism (structural, interpersonal, cultural, anti-Black). The American Heart Association must look internally to correct its own shortcomings and advance antiracist policies and practices regarding science, public and professional education, and advocacy. With this advisory, the American Heart Association declares its unequivocal support of antiracist principles.

scholarly journals Green Space and Health Equity: A Systematic Review on the Potential of Green Space to Reduce Health Disparities

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2563
Author(s):  
Alessandro Rigolon ◽  
Matthew H. E. M. Browning ◽  
Olivia McAnirlin ◽  
Hyunseo (Violet) Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Disadvantaged Groups

Disadvantaged groups worldwide, such as low-income and racially/ethnically minoritized people, experience worse health outcomes than more privileged groups, including wealthier and white people. Such health disparities are a major public health issue in several countries around the world. In this systematic review, we examine whether green space shows stronger associations with physical health for disadvantaged groups than for privileged groups. We hypothesize that disadvantaged groups have stronger protective effects from green space because of their greater dependency on proximate green space, as they tend to lack access to other health-promoting resources. We use the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) method and search five databases (CINAHL, Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to look for articles that examine whether socioeconomic status (SES) or race/ethnicity modify the green space-health associations. Based on this search, we identify 90 articles meeting our inclusion criteria. We find lower-SES people show more beneficial effects than affluent people, particularly when concerning public green spaces/parks rather than green land covers/greenness. Studies in Europe show stronger protective effects for lower-SES people versus higher-SES people than do studies in North America. We find no notable differences in the protective effects of green space between racial/ethnic groups. Collectively, these results suggest green space might be a tool to advance health equity and provide ways forward for urban planners, parks managers, and public health professionals to address health disparities.

scholarly journals Sharpening our public health lens: advancing im/migrant health equity during COVID-19 and beyond

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Machado ◽  
Shira Goldenberg
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Clinical Training ◽  
White Supremacy ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Migrant Health ◽  
Structural Racism ◽  
Migrant Communities ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
Global Pandemic

Abstract Background Differential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought deeply rooted inequities to the forefront, where increasing evidence has shown that racialized immigrant and migrant (im/migrant) populations face a disproportionate burden of COVID-19. Im/migrant communities may be worst affected by lockdowns and restrictive measures, face less opportunity to physically distance or stay home sick within ‘essential’ jobs, and experience severe barriers to healthcare. Insufficient attention to experiences of racialized im/migrants in current pandemic responses globally highlights an urgent need to more fulsomely address unmet health needs through an anti-racist, equity-oriented lens. This commentary aims to highlight the need for public health and clinical training, research, and policy to thoughtfully prioritize im/migrant health equity during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Main text Global pandemic responses have neglected im/migrants by continuing to ignore or insufficiently address inequities, exacerbating COVID transmission, xenophobia, and occupational injustice. Deaths, illness, stress, and other negative outcomes of the overlapping epidemics of COVID-19 and structural racism disproportionately borne by racialized im/migrants suggest the urgent need for action. As evidence mounts about how im/migrants have been left behind in times of crises, we need enhanced focus on health equity within COVID-19 research and interventions, including research that examines and pursues structural interventions necessary to mitigate these impacts, and that identifies patterns and harms of xenophobic policy, structural racism, and white supremacy in shaping im/migrant health outcomes. We must also strengthen anti-racist and equity-oriented curriculum within health education, and ensure sufficient attention to the needs of im/migrant communities within public health, clinical, and research training. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated and rendered more visible the deeply rooted health and social inequities faced by racialized im/migrants across diverse settings. We argue for a greater emphasis on equity-focused and anti-racist im/migrant health research, interventions, and training. Policymakers and practitioners must ensure that healthcare policies and practices do not exacerbate inequities, and instead meaningfully address unmet needs of communities, including racialized im/migrants. Ethical and respectful community engagement, commitment and collaboration with global, national, and local communities, policymakers, academics, and educators, as well as accountability across sectors, is critical.

scholarly journals Reducing cancer health disparities among US Latinos: a Freireian approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 368-379
Author(s):  
Yonaira M. Rivera
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Critical Consciousness ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Cancer Health Disparities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Latino Communities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to apply Paulo Freire’s writings from Pedagogy of the Oppressed to critique current efforts to reduce cancer health disparities (CHDs) among Latinos in the USA. Design/methodology/approach Freire’s writings on oppression, critical consciousness, praxis and dialogical education are applied to recent efforts to reduce CHDs among Latinos in the USA through the use of promotores. Findings Freireian teachings can provide insight on ways to engage Latino communities in culturally sensitive conversations that respect deeply rooted beliefs, and address the political and socioeconomic inequities many continue to face. Programs must revisit Freire’s political and transformative roots to ensure efforts to reduce CHDs also promote health equity and community empowerment. Practical implications Public health initiatives should incorporate Freireian principles of dialogical education and critical consciousness in the development of cancer prevention and screening programs tailored to Latinos in the USA to ensure program longevity and success. Social implications Approaching conversations and interactions dialogically can foster critical engagement and empower collective action among Latino communities in efforts to improve their environments and reduce health disparities. Originality/value This is a multi-layered analysis of different social and structural factors influencing CHDs among Latinos in the USA, and is coupled with a historical overview of colonialism and oppression in Latin America. It culminates in suggestions on ways to improve future public health efforts that embrace Freireian approaches and promote health equity.

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