Disparities in health outcomes and life expectancy persist for California’s communities of color, LGBTQ+ and individuals with disabilities, despite concerted efforts to address them.
As COVID-19 cases and deaths accumulate, disproportionately impacting communities of color, the imperative to address these disparities has never been more urgent.
National, state and local policymakers including those at the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and the State of California are increasingly using quantitative tools like area-based social indices to identify and prioritize disadvantaged communities during and beyond the public health crisis. These indices can be helpful tools in identifying and targeting interventions to certain at-risk populations. However, questions remain about their effectiveness in directly addressing racial disparities and health inequities.
To better understand the strengths and limitations of area-based social indices, CPEHN conducted an analysis of California’s recent COVID-19 response strategies which relied on these tools to address COVID-19 inequities. CPEHN also analyzed quantitative data publicly available through the California Department of Public Health, and collected additional qualitative information through interviews with a number of CPEHN’s community partners, who helped racially and ethnically diverse Californians receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Note: Open using Adobe Acrobat Pro to access accessibility features