Racism as a Root Cause Approach: A New Framework.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• Racial health disparities are a persistent and complex public health concern.
• Despite decades of research, significant progress in reducing these disparities remains limited.
• A failure to address racism as the root cause hinders effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a solutions-centered framework for children's health advocates.
• To empower advocates to address systemic, interpersonal, and historical racism.
• To guide efforts in dismantling racism for equitable health opportunities for marginalized families.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development.
• Analysis of systemic barriers in public health advocacy.
• Literature review on racism and health inequities.

Main Results:

• Identified a gap between acknowledging racial disparities and implementing anti-racist strategies.
• Proposed a framework to shift focus from superficial solutions to root causes.
• Highlighted the need for advocacy empowerment to drive systemic change.

Conclusions:

• Addressing racism is critical for achieving health equity.
• A structured, solutions-centered approach can guide anti-racist work in child health.
• Empowering advocates is key to dismantling systemic racism and improving health outcomes for Black, Indigenous, and other racially marginalized populations.