• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Wellness / Health Disparities / “…Isms” And The Pursuit Of Health Equity

“…Isms” And The Pursuit Of Health Equity

elderly man

Last fall, our office hosted the inaugural “Forum on the State of Health Equity at CDC.” The purpose of the forum was to examine CDC’s progress in the implementation of policies, programs, surveillance, and research that contribute to achieving health equity. We grappled with definitions, measures and indicators, program components, and the infrastructure needed to effectively integrate health equity across our programs. We also reached out to the agency’s Healthy Aging Program and the Sexual and Gender Minorities Workgroup and asked “what issues or concerns would you like addressed as part of this forum?” This is what they said:

  •  “How can we address and prevent ageism (discriminatory practices against older people; institutional practices and policies that perpetuate stereotypes about older people; prejudicial attitudes toward older people, old age, and the aging process) in our public health practices and policies?”
  • “Sexual and gender minorities generally have worse outcomes across the health spectrum than other persons. A large body of research has documented that heterosexism contributes to increased rates of health problems among sexual minorities. What efforts are CDC supporting to combat societal heterosexism?”

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE!

The introduction of these questions stirred others to raise issues related to racism, nativism, and how we can better include people with disabilities in our data collection and program planning. Though couched in references to the scientific literature, the conversations were emotionally charged and sensitive.

Why? From my standpoint, discussions of “isms” trigger a level of soul searching and intellectual musings that are rarely adequately resolved, and never in the timeframe needed – typically, right now! For example, these conversations force me to confront my own social location as an African American woman; how I reinforce or combat “isms” that negatively impact others; and the power of the structural determinants of these “isms” that defy easy resolution. The structural or systemic view of the “isms” reminds me that they are interdependent. In other words, there are larger structures that drive and reinforce the expression of the “isms.” Where, in such large and dynamic structures, might we begin to intervene to dismantle the “isms” that influence health disparities?

Some would argue that these discussions take us away from the science of public health toward policy and economic drivers that are outside of the purview of public health. While we are off tackling the “isms” and social inequalities, who is ensuring clean air and water, access to preventive health services, and disease prevention and health promotion? Are we “stepping out of our lane” as public health practitioners, researchers, and leaders by seeking ways to address and prevent ageism – and the other “isms” in our public health practices and policies? If lived experience of the “isms” (e.g., racism) is associated with poorer health outcomes, what is the role of public health in overcoming them? Must we take a stand of “either/or” or is there an opportunity to do both in public health practices and policies?

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

I would contend that, we need to understand what they are, how they work to negatively impact health, and most importantly, what we can do to address them. In the coming months, we will dedicate a Conversation in Equity blog post to better understanding ageism, ableism, nativism, racism, and heterosexism. There is a body of research describing associations between the experience of racism and health outcomes, but less attention has been given to other “isms” in public health. While we won’t resolve the “isms,” we hope to inspire a conversation that seeks to understand “difference” in respectful and health promoting ways.

What is your organization doing to combat the “isms” through public health?

For more on this topic, click here.

 

Visit the BlackDoctor.org CDC center for more articles. 

June 27, 2013 by Dr. Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA

Read Next Article

The Latest In Health Disparities

Ready To Quit Smoking? Find A Class To Help You

Despite more attempts, blacks are less successful at quitting smoking than white and Hispanic cigarette smokers. This could possibly be due to lower utilization, knowledge or access to cessation treatments such as counseling and medication. Tips from Former Smokers Here read more about Ready To Quit Smoking? Find A Class To Help You

FACT CHECK: Did You Receive the Right Diagnosis?

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder or “NMOSD,” is a rare, lifelong and debilitating autoimmune disease that is most common among non-Caucasian women in their 30s and 40s.1 The disease is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood – which may lead to damaging delays in read more about FACT CHECK: Did You Receive the Right Diagnosis?

Studies Show Ending Smoking Helps Shield Women from Bladder Cancer

Although Blacks usually smoke fewer cigarettes and start smoking cigarettes at an older age, they are more likely to die from smoking-related diseases than whites. Additionally, if you're an older woman who smokes, quitting may bring a health benefit you read more about Studies Show Ending Smoking Helps Shield Women from Bladder Cancer
Constance Benson

Sickle Cell Disease In The ER: Confronting Barriers To Care

“You’re too pretty to have a disease,” declared the nurse in the emergency department (ED) dismissing Constance Benson’s reports of unbearable pain, a byproduct of her sickle cell disease (SCD). Constance, who is in her late twenties, is a professional read more about Sickle Cell Disease In The ER: Confronting Barriers To Care
senior african american woman holding organizer

What Does Healthy Aging Look Like?

Sitting in her favorite reclining chair and looking out the window of her apartment, Marian reflected on over 40 years of living, working, and raising a family in “The City that Never Sleeps.” She migrated to New York City from read more about What Does Healthy Aging Look Like?
black man

One Man’s Journey To A Rare Disease Diagnosis

Imagine if what you thought were common features of aging were actually signs and symptoms of a life-threatening disease? That’s what happened to Randy. Randy, a 75-year-old man originally from Trinidad and Tobago, now living in New Orleans, was diagnosed read more about One Man’s Journey To A Rare Disease Diagnosis

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • Monica Calhoun at 51: “Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside”Monica Calhoun at 51: "Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside"
  • Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!
  • Chef Babette Davis: Making 70+ Look Simply Delicious!Chef Babette Davis: Making 70+ Look Simply Delicious!
  • Shemar Moore Expecting First Child at 52!Shemar Moore Expecting First Child at 52!

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.