Let’s Talk About Equitable Wellness
Written by: Jasmine Penney
I first want to start off by sending many good wishes to you and your families during this pandemic. Despite what is going on around us, let’s continue to look out for one another and build community.
April is National Minority Health Month.
According to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, this month-long event was created as an “effort to raise awareness about health disparities that continue to affect racial and ethnic minority populations.” Although we are currently in a nationwide shelter-in-place due to COVID-19, there are still ways to advance this month’s theme of “Active & Healthy” and promote emotional and mental wellness right inside of our homes. In fact, the Office of Minority Health and the US Department of Health and Human Services provides information on different ways we can all participate in the #ActiveandHealthy campaign, while still adhering to social-distancing guidelines.
What causes health inequities?
Health inequity stems from root causes that I have organized into three clusters:
- Structural inequities that organize the distribution of power and resources differentially across lines of race, gender, class, sexual orientation, gender expression, and other dimensions of individual and group identity.
- The unequal allocation of power and resources—including goods, services, and societal attention—which results in unequal social, economic, and environmental conditions also referred to as the determinants of health.
- Unconscious bias in healthcare settings. Many non-medical factors influence medical decisions, including: a patient’s style of dress; race, ethnicity, or gender; insurance status; and the clinical setting (i.e. what is perceived as “bad neighborhood” vs. “good neighborhood”). Evidence shows that medical conclusions can be based just as much on who a person is as on the symptoms they present. This is especially dangerous in healthcare, where decisions can mean life or death.
Faced with these challenging external factors, if people of color could get the time off to see a medical professional, many may choose to ignore or hide symptoms in order to protect their physiological safety. They are then left with the long-term cumulative effects of structural inequity and not seeking help.
So, if someone needs help, where are they supposed to go? Who are they supposed to trust? This is where Rubicon can be a positive social connection.
Wellness is a vital piece of Rubicon’s culture and program model. Rubicon works on interventions targeting root causes because we know those interventions hold the greatest promise for advancing health equity. Additionally, we know that each of us is our own best advocate, and that together we can advance equitable community wellness.
I plan to continue sharing wellness information with our community, even beyond National Minority Health Month to help keep us all connected, healthy, and resilient during this pandemic, and beyond. I invite you to learn more about the #ActiveandHealthy campaign, so we can all be a part of the national change and learn about what we can do to battle inequities and support our health.
I look forward to hearing about how this information helps you in your day-to-day routine, and most importantly, learning and making strides as a community.
To Your Wellness!
Next Up: Health, Healthcare, and Socioeconomic Barriers Related to COVID-19