Community-Level Strategies for Addressing Disparities in Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicators.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity
• Community Health Interventions

Background:

• Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) aim to improve health equity and reduce disparities.
• Significant disparities exist in infant mortality, maternal mortality, and food insecurity.
• Addressing these disparities is crucial for overall population health and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify programs and initiatives community organizations use to address key LHIs: infant mortality, maternal mortality, and food insecurity.
• To understand how organizations select and refine their programs and initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving 9 interviews with Healthy People 2030 Champions.
• Organizations interviewed were actively working to reduce disparities in the selected LHIs.

Main Results:

• Common strategies for maternal and infant mortality disparities include wraparound services, doula programs, and education/advocacy.
• Interventions for food insecurity include food pharmacies and assistance program enrollment.
• Organizations determine programs by assessing community needs, forming partnerships, and measuring success.

Conclusions:

• Community-based organizations employ multifaceted strategies to combat disparities in infant mortality, maternal mortality, and food insecurity.
• These organizations and their approaches are vital for addressing health outcome disparities in high-need populations.
• Findings highlight local efforts in addressing national health priorities and suggest further evaluation needs.