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Health Equity

Health Equity

Health Equity

Racial health disparities first appear at birth and never go away. Black babies have higher infant mortality rates than their white peers; black mothers die in childbirth at three times the rate of white mothers; and black Americans, despite having roughly the same occurrence of cardiovascular disease as white Americans, are thirty percent more likely to die from it.

In order to eliminate racial/ethnic and gender disparities in health, we must investigate the sociocultural, economic, and structural indicators of health in both risk assessment and risk prevention efforts. Cook Center researchers, often through the Center’s Health Equity Working Group, use an interdisciplinary approach to move beyond the acknowledgement of disparities toward a more complete understanding the root causes of both positive and negative health outcomes. From there, they inform practitioners, researchers and community health organizers on strength-based approaches to health.

The Health Equity Working Group uses a holistic approach to understanding and achieving health equity. Investigating the sociocultural, economic, and structural indicators of health is necessary in both risk assessment and risk prevention efforts to eliminate racial/ethnic and gender disparities in health. The Health Equity Working Group deploys an interdisciplinary approach to move beyond the acknowledgement of disparities toward understanding the root causes of both positive and negative health outcomes. We use this understanding to inform practitioners, researchers, and community health organizers on strength-based approaches to health. Our working group includes the broad intersections of race, gender, wealth, and health.

 

Team Members

Research & Publications

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Race, Racism, and Covid-19 in the US: Lessons Not Learnt

Race, Racism, and Covid-19 in the US: Lessons Not Learnt Journal: British Medical Journal (BMJ)…

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Unraveling the Hispanic Health Paradox

Published: November 2023 In 2019, Hispanics in the US had a life expectancy advantage of…

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Increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the fields of nutrition and obesity: A road map to equity in academia

Samantha L. Martin, Michelle I. Cardel, Tiffany L. Carson, James O. Hill, Takara Stanley, Steven…

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Prison Hospital Data Is Omitted From Federal Data Sets

Given the evident impact on health and the historical inequities of the criminal legal system,…

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Message Received? The Effect of Academic Socialization on NCAA Athletes’ Grades

College athletes face different curricular and time constraints and also may receive unique academic guidance…

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The 5Ws of Racial Equity in Research: A Framework for Applying a Racial Equity Lens Throughout the Research Process

Abstract Ensuring equity in research is a critical step in advancing health equity. In this…

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Association Between Racial Wealth Inequities and Racial Disparities in Longevity Among US Adults and Role of Reparations Payments, 1992 to 2018

Currently, there exists in America a sizable gap in life expectancy between Black and White…

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Telemedicine services in higher education: a review of college and university websites

Authors aimed to identify rates of telemedicine provision during the COVID-19 pandemic and predictive institutional…