What is health equity?
Rite Aid Healthy Futures is a charity dedicated to addressing health inequities in communities that have historically been left behind. But what is health equity, and how does someone’s everyday environment influence their overall well-being?
Join us as we explore this important topic and what it means for communities looking for equal access to the things that matter most.
What is health equity?
“Public health is a powerful tool to level that playing field, to bend the arc of our country away from distrust and disparities and back towards equity and justice.” – Dr. Leana S. Wen, professor of health policy and management at George Washington University
There are several definitions of health equity to choose from, but we like this practical and straight-forward one from Health Affairs, a journal covering health policy: “Equity in health care is when every person has the opportunity to attain their full potential of health; and no one is disadvantaged from attaining this potential due to their race/ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, socioeconomic status or geographical background.”
Simply put, health equity occurs when all members of a community have their needs addressed and can live their healthiest, fullest lives.
Our health starts where we live, work and play, and our overall well-being is connected to the conditions in which we spend our daily lives.
When barriers prevent everyone from receiving the same opportunities for wellness, health inequities arise. Let’s take a closer look at what factors lead to health disparities and the impacts they have on communities.
The social determinants of health
The influences that contribute to our health and well-being are called the social determinants of health (SDOH), and they affect nearly everyone in some way. These are factors like:
Income
Gender
Literacy
Transportation access
Healthy food options
Discrimination
Safe spaces
Having advantages or disadvantages in any of these areas can lead to variances in quality of life. In fact, some experts estimate that up to 80% of what impacts a person’s health are nonclinical factors, like air quality and community safety. The compounding nature of these influences can create a cycle of inequity, making it difficult for families or communities to escape negative circumstances or harmful environments.
The social determinants of health can have complex relationships with one another, and individuals can be impacted by many of them at once. Some groups are more affected by the social determinants of health than others, and face systemically unfair outcomes as a result. For groups like the Black and Brown community, women, and those who identify as LGBTQ+, important resources are unjustly difficult to find and often out of reach, leading to poorer health outcomes and overall lower quality of life:
Black women are three to four times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women (National Partnership for Women and Families)
The uninsured rate among Latinos is more than double that among non-Latino Whites (Office of Health Policy)
LGBTQ+ community members are less likely to have regular healthcare providers and more at risk for eating and mood disorders (Cigna)
Rates of chronic illness are higher, life expectancy is lower and the odds of developing a preventable condition are considerably increased within communities facing health disparities.
Sometimes, trying to make healthy choices often isn’t enough. Outside factors can determine our access to resources and our quality of care regardless of our efforts, and in many communities, health outcomes can even vary between neighboring ZIP codes. According to Heluna Health, gaps in life expectancy between neighborhoods can be as large as 30 years, an indication of how directly our surroundings are tied to our health.
Health inequities occur when seemingly arbitrary factors prevent individuals and communities from living with the same freedom and health as others.
To achieve health equity, we must address the factors that impact quality of life by seeking solutions that are lasting, community-based and equitable. Rite Aid Healthy Futures is proud to partner with organizations working to bring food sovereignty, racial equity and improved health outcomes to communities through programs that engage neighborhoods and address their specific needs.
How is equality different from equity?
“Equity, in its simplest terms as it relates to racial and social justice, means meeting communities where they are and allocating resources and opportunities as needed to create equal outcomes for all community members.” – United Way
It’s important to keep in mind that equity and equality are two different terms, each with their own outcomes. In an equal system everyone is treated the same, but in an equitable system the needs and situations of individuals are also addressed, even if it means treating groups differently.
For example, while a free vaccine clinic may be open to all, it will be far harder for someone without a car to reach it, just as online-only resources are not helpful to those without internet access. An important part of health equity work is identifying the difference between equality and equity, and ensuring that programs are designed to be truly equitable.
How is Rite Aid Healthy Futures supporting efforts for health equity?
“Expanding equitable care doesn’t start in the emergency room. It starts in our neighborhoods,” -- Matt DeCamara, executive director of Rite Aid Healthy Futures.
Rite Aid Healthy Futures is a public charity dedicated to driving positive change in underserved communities, focusing on health disparities and racial inequities. We see how deeply differences in care and resources impact neighborhoods and their members, and we’re committed to partnering with charitable organizations and local community members to:
Elevate and advance strategies and programs that address the root issues that lead to health disparities
Invest in innovative initiatives, programs and solutions focused on quality education, good health, food access, stable housing and income opportunities
Provide opportunities for Rite Aid customers, along with business partners and associates, to support their communities and social causes
Everyone deserves health and wellness, but not all have the same opportunities to achieve them. Today, far too many neighborhoods are still working to overcome health disparities with crucial resources and preventative care remaining out of reach.
In Detroit, for example, about 30,000 people do not have access to a full-line grocer, 48% of households are food insecure in the city and 1 in 5 children are fed through the Women, Infants and Children government-assistance program. That’s considering access to food alone – and not accounting for the many other obstacles Detroiters face when it comes to living longer, healthier lives.
On the West Coast, families in Fresno still feel the aftermath of residential segregation. The Healthy Fresno County Community Dashboard reports that almost 30% of Black families live below the poverty line, almost four times that of white families. A heartbreaking 49.8% of Black children live below the poverty level.
At Rite Aid Healthy Futures, we see the devastating impact that such high numbers of poverty and food oppression can have on communities, and how the cyclical nature of disparities makes it difficult to achieve lasting change. Alongside our partners, we’re committed to alleviating the causes of health inequities and sparking sustainable change in Rite Aid neighborhoods.
Further Reading
Check out these previous announcements for more information on how Rite Aid Healthy Futures is driving change in communities.
SeriousFun Children’s Network, Rite Aid Healthy Futures Expand Existing Partnership
Rite Aid Healthy Futures is supporting SeriousFun’s network of medical specialty camps and programs by funding a robust package of strategies and programs focused on health and wellness, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) — all to positively impact the lives and futures of children with serious medical conditions.
Penn State Health Growing Gardens, Relationships in Lebanon
Volunteers from Penn State Health joined together in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, to bring fresh life to a concrete plaza during a community planting event. The new garden will not only connect people with the soil and the vegetables that come from it, but also link one of the region’s major health providers with a community center, a local school district and an impactful nonprofit institution serving the city.
