Citation

Nesbit B, Robinson I, Bryan S. J. Saf. Res. 2022; 80: 457-462.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, U.S. National Safety Council, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsr.2021.12.026

PMID

35249626

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Many federal and national partners have a renewed commitment to addressing health equity and racial equity as a public health issue of concern. These are especially important issues in addressing many injury and violence prevention (IVP) topic areas. In developing and updating approaches to address injury and violence-related health and racial equity challenges, CDC and Safe States Alliance wanted to better understand how partners in the field are already approaching these issues. An environmental scan was conducted to explore how IVP professionals advance health equity and racial equity in their programmatic work.

METHODS: Data collection occurred from multiple sources including focus groups and surveys. Health equity and racial equity-related questions were added to the Safe States Member Survey: Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 on the IVP Workforce and Assessing Equity Initiative (COVID Impact and Equity Survey). An analysis of secondary data sources was conducted through ongoing evaluation initiatives at Safe States Alliance (the COVID Impact Evaluation and Connections Lab Evaluation Focus Groups).

CONCLUSIONS: Successes and challenges were identified through the environmental scan that primarily fell into three categories: (1) Injury and Violence Prevention Strategies and Programs, (2) Using IVP Data to Inform Equity Approaches, (3) Equity Approaches in IVP Infrastructure. Practical Applications: Practical applications were identified that can be supported at the local, state, and federal/national level and are specific to the areas of IVP strategies and programs, IVP data and surveillance, and IVP organizational infrastructure. A few examples include: (1) Ensuring decision-making power and ownership of programs is shared between community partners and funders; (2) Working with national/federal surveillance system partners to ensure demographic fields/variables are improved to identify disparities and inequities; (3) Development of an "Injury and Violence Prevention Equity Institute" to better prepare IVP professionals to address health and racial equity challenges.

Language: en

Keywords

*Health disparities; *Health equity; *Injury and violence prevention; *Racial equity; *Social determinants of health