Community-Engaged Survey Approach to Pandemic Impacts on Marginalized Communities, Massachusetts, 2020-2021.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity Research
• Community-Based Participatory Research

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing health disparities.
• Traditional surveillance data often underrepresents vulnerable populations.
• There was a need for innovative methods to capture pandemic's unequal impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate how a community-engaged survey identified unmeasured pandemic inequities.
• To illustrate how this data informed health equity investments.
• To highlight the value of equity-centered data collection.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey, the Massachusetts COVID-19 Community Impact Survey, was deployed statewide in 11 languages (2020-2021).
• The survey prioritized community engagement, granular/intersectional data, root cause analysis, and community voices.
• Data-to-action pathways were established for timely analysis and intervention.

Main Results:

• The survey yielded a rich dataset with 33,800 respondents, including underrepresented groups.
• Analyses revealed disproportionate pandemic impacts on basic needs, discrimination, healthcare access, employment, and mental health for priority populations.
• Specific groups like Asian American/Pacific Islanders and parents experienced significant adverse effects.

Conclusions:

• Equity-centered data approaches make previously invisible populations visible in public health surveillance.
• These methods enable more equitable and targeted public health actions.
• State health departments can and should implement these necessary data strategies.