The Health Justice and Policy Initiative is dedicated to addressing and mitigating the impacts of historical, political, and social determinants of health. The institute aims to create equitable health outcomes by focusing on systemic changes and advocating for policies addressing health disparities' root causes.

2024-2026 Public Policy Priority Areas

Housing Access

Housing policies and practices specifically impact the health and health equity of women of color in the Greater Dayton area.

Reproductive Justice

Comprehensive reproductive health care: Ensuring access to contraception, abortion services, and maternal health care through state-funded programs.

Culturally competent care: Implementing training programs for Ohio healthcare providers to offer culturally sensitive and unbiased care.

Equitable and Inclusive Health Care for All

Medicaid expansion: Continuing to support and expand Medicaid to cover more low-income individuals and families.

Bias training: Mandating bias training for healthcare providers across Ohio to reduce racial and gender disparities in medical treatment.

Workforce Development and Wage Equity

Equal pay legislation: Enforcing Ohio's equal pay laws to ensure fair wages for all, regardless of gender or race.

Job training programs: Funding state-specific job training and career advancement programs for women of color.

Expanded Mental Health Coverage

Insurance coverage: Expanding Ohio's Medicaid to include comprehensive mental health services.

Community-based services: Increasing funding for community mental health programs that provide culturally sensitive care in Ohio.

Transportation Access

Public transportation funding: Increasing investment in Ohio's public transportation infrastructure to improve access to essential services.

Subsidized transportation: Providing subsidized transportation options for low-income individuals in Ohio.

Eliminating Systemic Violence

Violence prevention programs: Funding Ohio-specific programs that address domestic violence, sexual assault, and police violence.

Legal reforms: Advocating for legal reforms in Ohio to protect women from violence and ensure justice for victims.

Enhancing Food Justice

Food assistance programs: Expanding programs like Ohio's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to ensure access to nutritious food.

Community gardens: Supporting community-based food systems and urban agriculture initiatives in Ohio.

These policies aim to address the systemic issues that contribute to health disparities and promote equitable outcomes for all women in Ohio.

Social Determinants of Health and Connected Health Disparities

Social Determinants of Health and Connected Health Disparities

Poverty Rates:
- Black women: 28.7%
- Latina women: 21%
- Native American women: 24%
- Asian American women: 12%
- White women: 11.7%
This disparity reflects systemic economic inequalities that limit access to resources and opportunities, leading to disparities in health outcomes and overall well-being. Unemployment Rates:
- Black women: 8.2%
- Latina women: 6.5%
- Native American women: 7.8%
- Asian American women: 4.5%
- White women: 4.0%
Unemployment can significantly impact financial stability, access to healthcare, and overall health. These disparities highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve employment opportunities for minority women.
High School Graduation Rates:
- Black women: 79%
- Latina women: 83%
- Native American women: 76%
- Asian American women: 92%
- White women: 90%
Education is a crucial social determinant of health, impacting future opportunities, economic stability, and health literacy. These disparities suggest the need for interventions to improve educational attainment for all women. College Enrollment:
- Black women: 35%
- Latina women: 37%
- Native American women: 33%
- Asian American women: 55%
- White women: 46%
Higher education is linked to better health outcomes and economic opportunities. These disparities highlight the need to address barriers to college enrollment for minority women.
Insurance Coverage:
- Black women: 11%
- Latina women: 14%
- Native American women: 13%
- Asian American women: 8%
- White women: 5%
Lack of health insurance can severely limit access to preventive care and necessary medical treatments, leading to worse health outcomes. These disparities underscore the importance of affordable and accessible healthcare for all. Access to Care: Minority women often face barriers to accessing quality healthcare, including geographic limitations (e.g., lack of providers in their area), financial constraints, and implicit biases within the healthcare system. These barriers can lead to delayed or forgone care, resulting in poorer health outcomes.
Housing Stability:
- Black women: 14%
- Latina women: 12%
- Native American women: 13%
- Asian American women: 10%
- White women: 6%
Stable and safe housing is essential for good health. Housing instability can contribute to stress, poor living conditions, and limited access to healthcare, leading to negative health outcomes. Environmental Hazards: Minority communities are more likely to be located in areas with environmental hazards such as air pollution, lead exposure, and limited access to green spaces. These environmental factors can significantly impact respiratory health, cardiovascular health, and overall well-being.
Discrimination: Experiences of discrimination and systemic racism can significantly affect mental and physical health. The stress associated with discrimination can contribute to chronic conditions and negative health outcomes. Discrimination can limit access to opportunities, resources, and fair treatment, leading to disparities in health and well-being. Community Support: Strong community networks can provide valuable support and resources, but disparities in access to services and community resources exist, leaving some communities with fewer support systems. Social support and community resources are essential for promoting health and well-being, and disparities in access can contribute to health inequalities.
Maternal Mortality Rate:
- Black women: 30.2 per 100,000 live births
- White women: 11.8 per 100,000 live births
This stark difference highlights the urgent need to address the factors contributing to maternal deaths in the Black community. Maternal mortality is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors, including access to quality prenatal care, pre-existing health conditions, and systemic biases within the healthcare system. Severe Maternal Morbidity Rate:
- Black women: 85.2 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations
- Asian women: 72.5 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations
- Hispanic women: 72.1 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations
- White women: 61.0 per 10,000 delivery hospitalizations
These disparities indicate that minority women are more likely to experience serious health complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Addressing these disparities requires a focus on improving access to quality prenatal care, early detection and management of complications, and addressing systemic factors that contribute to maternal morbidity. Causes of Maternal Mortality: Leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths in Ohio include mental health conditions (e.g., substance use disorder, depression), cardiovascular conditions, infection, hemorrhage, and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Addressing these underlying health conditions is critical to reducing maternal mortality. Preventability: Over half (62%) of pregnancy-related deaths in Ohio from 2018-2022 were deemed preventable. This emphasizes the need for improved access to quality prenatal care, early detection and management of complications, and addressing systemic factors that contribute to maternal mortality.
Health Outcomes: Refugee and immigrant women often face poorer health outcomes compared to the host population due to factors such as precarious legal status, discrimination, social and cultural barriers, and lack of information about health entitlements. They may experience difficulties navigating the healthcare system, accessing affordable care, and understanding their health rights. Mental Health: Higher rates of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are reported among refugee and immigrant women. These mental health challenges can be exacerbated by experiences of trauma, displacement, and acculturation stress. Access to Healthcare: Barriers to healthcare access for refugee and immigrant women include linguistic challenges, financial constraints, and fear of detention or deportation. These barriers can lead to delayed or forgone care, resulting in poorer health outcomes. Approximately 50% of likely undocumented immigrant adults and 18% of lawfully present immigrant adults report being uninsured compared to less than 10% of naturalized and U.S.-born citizens.
Voter Registration: Women register to vote at higher rates than men. In 2022, the gaps between women and men voters were highest in the white, non-Hispanic and Black communities.
- White women: 72%
- Black women: 68%
- Latina women: 64%
- Asian American women: 70%
- Native American women: 60%
This highlights the importance of civic engagement and the active participation of women in the democratic process. Voter Turnout: Women voted at higher rates than men in the 2022 elections. Turnout was particularly high among Black and Latina women.
- White women: 65%
- Black women: 62%
- Latina women: 58%
- Asian American women: 63%
- Native American women: 55%
This demonstrates the increasing political power of women and their commitment to exercising their right to vote. New Voter Registration: Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there has been a significant increase in new voter registrations among women, with an 11% gender gap favoring women. This surge in voter registration suggests that women are motivated to participate in elections and advocate for issues that affect their lives. Key Issues for Women Voters: Inflation, threats to democracy, and abortion are the top issues for women voters. These issues reflect the concerns and priorities of women in Ohio and their desire to see policies that address these challenges. Impact of Elections: Two-thirds (65%) of women voters believe the 2024 election will have a major impact on abortion access. This perception highlights the importance of elections in shaping policies and decisions that directly affect women's reproductive rights and healthcare.