Module Components

• Overview
• Assignments

Topics

• Health Disparities Definitions
• Examples of Health Disparities
• Community Health Indicators
• Leading Reports on Health Disparities
• Federal and State Initiatives
• Cultural Competence

NRSG 780 - Health Promotion and Population Health

Module 5: Health Disparities / Cultural Competence

Community Health Indicators

Health disparities, inequalities and inequities are important indicators of community health.

The guiding premise for Healthy People 2030 reinforces the foundational statement from the Healthy People 2010 report. “The health of the individual is almost inseparable from the health of the larger community and the health of every community in every state and territory determines the overall health status of the nation.” (Healthy People 2010)

This analysis of healthy days across states indicates that states that have lower average health also have higher health inequality. At each level of the U.S. income distribution (low, medium, high), higher health inequality is associated with lower average number of healthy days.

Exercise

How healthy is your county? Take a moment to visit the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. The Rankings are based on a model of population health that emphasizes the many factors that, if improved, can help make communities healthier places to live, learn, work and play.  Search for your county rankings and then use the Compare Counties tab to compare your county with another county of interest. Consider which of the counties has poor health outcomes and how those health outcomes relate to the data on the social, economic and environmental factors that are provided. What health disparities are evident?

Continue to explore this website and examine the County Health Rankings Model on which the Rankings are based. This model emphasizes the many factors that, if improved, can lead to a healthier community. Explore the model by clicking on any of the boxes within it.