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Health Disparities

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Population-specific differences in access to quality health care, whether caused by gender, race, geography, environment, or other factors, can affect individual and community health. RAND research aims to understand the causes of—and thereby reduce disparities in—health outcomes, access, and care at the individual, community, and international levels.

Essay

Reducing Disparities in Infant Mortality: Using Big Data to Help Babies at Risk

Jul 1, 2021

Black babies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—and across America—face much higher mortality rates than white babies. Researchers pulled together thousands of data points on more than 150,000 births to better predict who is at risk and how to help them.
Commentary

Collect Data on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Health Surveys

Jun 25, 2021

The Biden administration wants to promote programs and policies informed by science and to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans. For researchers to confidently answer that call, the first step is for the government to consistently collect sexual orientation and gender identity data.

Explore Health Disparities

Commentary

Tech Assets Might Help Make Public Health Data More Equity-Centered

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified broad societal inequities and trained a spotlight on the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. public health system. What would more equity-centered, tech-engaged public health data look like?

Sep 9, 2021
Journal Article

Disparities in Social and Economic Determinants of Health by Sexual Identity, Gender, and Age: Results from the 2015–2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Characterizing disparities between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults and heterosexual adults across multiple health determinants, we found that LGB females experience significant economic disparities and all LGB subgroups exhibited disparities on some social determinants of health.

Sep 2, 2021
Journal Article

Longitudinal Associations Between Changes in Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Use, Eating Behavior, Perceived Stress, and Self-Rated Health in a Cohort of Low-Income Black Adults

We found significant longitudinal associations between smoking behavior and eating behavior, perceived stress, and self-rated health. This has implications for the development of behavior change programs and community-level interventions and policies.

Aug 27, 2021
Report

Assessing Health and Human Services Needs to Support an Integrated Health in All Policies Plan for Prince George's County, Maryland

This report describes a health and human services needs assessment of Prince George's County, Maryland. Findings from this report can inform Prince George's County's pursuit of a Health in All Policies approach to policymaking.

Aug 26, 2021
Commentary

Equitable Data Analysis: Lessons from a COVID-19 Research Collaborative

The health inequities exposed by COVID-19 underscored the importance of collecting race-stratified data to inform local policymakers. For the public health researchers trying to provide that, the pandemic also revealed some major pitfalls, especially about relying on open-source data.

Jul 27, 2021
Tool

Vulnerability, Inequity, and COVID-19: A Portrait of the Pandemic in Allegheny County: Tracking Evolving Disparities in Testing, Cases, Hospitalizations, Deaths, and the Ability to Practice Physical Distancing

RAND researchers, the Black Equity Coalition, and Surgo Ventures created an interactive online tool to consider disparities and community vulnerability to COVID-19 in Allegheny County.

Jul 19, 2021
Journal Article

Cannabis Legalization and Social Equity: Some Opportunities, Puzzles, and Trade-Offs

Legalization for nonmedical purposes may create new sources of disproportionate harm even as it alleviates some inequities associated with cannabis prohibition.

Jul 16, 2021
Blog

Pandemic-Era Parties, China's Global Influence, Reducing Infant Mortality: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on assessing the risk of small gatherings during the pandemic, China's ability to exert influence around the world, using big data to help reduce infant mortality, and more.

Jul 2, 2021
Journal Article

Vaccine Confidence And Black Communities: Where Do We Go From Here? Town Hall Recap

This event, "Vaccine Confidence and Black Communities: Where do we go from here?", aimed to share lessons learned about COVID-19 vaccine messaging and access in order to reduce inequities.

Jul 2, 2021
Periodical

RAND Review: July-August 2021

One feature highlights how researchers apply an equity lens to projects on environmental racism, incarcerated parents, and the lives of Black service members; a second describes interventions to address disparities in infant mortality rates.

Jul 1, 2021
Commentary

Promoting Social Equity in Infrastructure Planning and Delivery

The American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan propose to address racial inequities through significant infrastructure, workforce, education, and child care investments. Multiple barriers may need to be addressed for the funds to reach their intended destination.

Jun 17, 2021
Journal Article

Opportunities to Address Health Disparities in Performance-Based Accountability and Payment Programs

The authors propose four steps to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in Medicare-based quality-incentive programs in the United States.

Jun 16, 2021
Journal Article

Black and White Differences in Colorectal Cancer Screening and Screening Outcomes: A Narrative Review

Higher rates of colorectal cancer incidence among black patients are primarily driven by lower rates of colorectal cancer screening. Our findings highlight the need to increase black patients' access to quality screening to reduce colorectal cancer incidence and mortality.

May 27, 2021
Journal Article

Developing Health Equity Measures

This work identified existing approaches to health equity measurement and evaluated those approaches using input from an expert panel.

May 21, 2021
Commentary

Mothers Need a Continuous System of Care Even After Babies Are Born

In the United States, babies are born into a system of well-child care—a series of planned health care visits designed to protect their health from day one through age six. But no such system exists for their mothers. How do we create a system of health care for mothers that mirrors well-child care?

May 10, 2021
Commentary

American Views on COVID-19 Health Risks, School and Economy Reopening

Much of the discussion about opening schools and the economy has focused on the educational and economic effects that closures may have on the most vulnerable groups. But some of these groups still remain wary of the increased health risks of opening.

May 4, 2021
Report

COVID-19 and the Experiences of Populations at Greater Risk: Description and Top-Line Summary Data — Wave 3, Winter 2021

This report presents the results of the third of four surveys on how Americans' health views and values have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on populations deemed vulnerable or underserved.

May 4, 2021
Journal Article

Growing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Buprenorphine Distribution in the United States, 2007–2017

We find ecological evidence consistent with racial/ethnic disparities in buprenorphine distribution. Our finding that initiatives to increase the number of waivered prescribers are insufficient to achieve equitable buprenorphine access.

Apr 27, 2021

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