• The EveryONE Project

    Community Engagement

    Advocate for Health Equity

    Community engagement and advocacy for Public Health policy are key to advancing health equity at the societal level. In your role as a family physician, you have the knowledge to raise awareness about health equity and influence policy development. 

    Participate in advocacy efforts in your community using these AAFP resources.

    Health Equity Issue Briefs

    Food Insecurity1

    This health policy issue brief helps family physicians and their care teams address health disparities related to food insecurity among their patient populations and communities. Access to affordable and healthy foods significantly affects patients’ health, education and development.

    Gender Pay Gap in Medicine

    This health policy issue brief helps family physicians and their care teams advocate for gender equity in compensation policies within their health systems and with legislators. The AAFP recognizes that poverty, structural racism and discrimination are primary drivers of health inequities, and social factors can contribute to mortality as much as health behaviors and pathophysiological factors.

    Health in All Policies

    This health policy issue brief helps family physicians incorporate health considerations into local- and state-level policies using Health in All Policies (HiAP) strategies. HiAP is a collaborative approach that integrates health considerations into policies that shape and influence the places we are born, live, learn, work, play and age.

    Health Literacy

    This health policy issue brief helps family physicians and their care teams address health disparities related to health literacy issues among their patient populations and communities. AAFP resources are available to support family physicians in creating a practice culture that values health equity by addressing implicit bias using cultural proficiency and health literacy standards.

    Housing Instability2

    This health policy issue brief helps family physicians and their care teams address health disparities related to housing instability among their patient populations and communities. Family physicians are powerful advocates who can impact housing and zoning policy decisions by emphasizing the health outcomes of those most affected by housing instability.

    Socioeconomic Status

    This health policy issue brief helps family physicians and their care teams understand the critical role that socioeconomic status plays in reinforcing and exacerbating health disparities. The AAFP recognizes that poverty, structural racism and discrimination are primary drivers of health inequities, and social factors can contribute to mortality as much as health behaviors and pathophysiological factors.

    Transportation

    This health policy issue brief helps family physicians and their care teams address health disparities related to transportation among their patient populations and communities. The Academy recognizes that transportation can impact patients’ health beyond human transportation and their built environments and that some patients face barriers to accessing affordable and adequate transportation.

    References

    1Food Insecurity:

    1. Coleman-Jensen A, Rabbitt MP, Gregory CA, Singh A. Household food security in the United States in 2018. United States Department of Agriculture. www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/94849/err-270.pdf?v=963.1. Accessed March 24, 2020.
    2. United States Department of Agriculture. Key Statistics & Graphics. Economic Research Service.   www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics.aspx#householdtype. Accessed March 24, 2020.
    3. Pinard C, Smith TM, Calloway EE, et al. Auxiliary measures to assess factors related to food insecurity: preliminary testing and baseline characteristics of newly designed hunger-coping scales. Prev Med Rep. 2016;4:289-295.
    4. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Food insecurity. Healthy People 2020. www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/food-insecurity. Accessed March 24, 2020.
    5. United States Department of Agriculture. Access to affordable and nutritious food: measuring and understanding food deserts and their consequences. Economic Research Service. www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/42711/12716_ap036_1_.pdf. Accessed March 24, 2020.
    6. Food Research & Action Center. The impact of poverty, food insecurity, and poor nutrition on health and well-being. frac.org/wp-content/uploads/hunger-health-impact-poverty-food-insecurity-health-well-being.pdf. Accessed March 24, 2020.
    7. Cook J, Jeng K. Child food insecurity: the economic impact on our nation. Feeding America. www.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/child-economy-study.pdf. Accessed March 24, 2020.
    8. Feeding America. Importance of nutrition on health in America. www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/impact-of-hunger/hunger-and-nutrition. Accessed March 24, 2020.
    9. Health Research & Educational Trust. Food insecurity and the role of hospitals. American Hospital Association. Social Determinants of Health Series. www.hpoe.org/Reports-HPOE/2017/determinants-health-food-insecurity-role-of-hospitals.pdf. Accessed March 24, 2020.
    10. American Academy of Pediatrics. Addressing food insecurity: a toolkit for pediatricians. Food Research & Action Center. frac.org/wp-content/uploads/frac-aap-toolkit.pdf. Accessed March 6, 2020.
    11. Feeding America. Addressing food insecurity in health care settings. Hunger + Health. hungerandhealth.feedingamerica.org/explore-our-work/community-health-care-partnerships/addressing-food-insecurity-in-health-care-settings/. Accessed March 24, 2020.

    2Housing Instability:

    1. Swope CB, Hernandez D. Housing as a determinant of health equity: a conceptual model. Soc Sci Med. 2019;243:112571.
    2. Krieger J, Higgins DL. Housing and health: time again for public health action. Am J Public Health. 2002;92(5):758-768.
    3. American Academy of Family Physicians. Homelessness. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/homelessness.html 
    4. Hood E. Dwelling disparities: how poor housing leads to poor health. Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113(5):A310-A317.
    5. Ray R, Perry AM, Harshbarger D, et al. Homeownership, racial segregation, and policy solutions to racial wealth equity. The Brookings Institute. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/homeownership-racial-segregation-and-policies-for-racial-wealth-equity/ 
    6. de Sousa T, Andrichik A, Cuellar M, et al. The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf 
    7. U.S. Department of the Treasury. Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/emergency-rental-assistance-program 
    8. Pandemic Oversight. Update: Three rounds of stimulus checks. See how many went out and for how much. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.pandemicoversight.gov/news/articles/update-three-rounds-stimulus-checks-see-how-many-went-out-and-how-much 
    9. Glass TA, McAtee MJ. Behavioral science at the crossroads in public health: extending horizons, envisioning the future. Soc Sci Med. 2006;62(7):1650-1671. 
    10. Mehdipanah R. Without affordable, accessible, and adequate housing, health has no foundation. Milbank Q. 2023;101(s1):419-443.
    11. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview 
    12. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Smoke-free public housing. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.hud.gov/smokefreepublichousing 
    13. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Reasonable accommodations and modifications. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/reasonable_accommodations_and_modifications 
    14. Americans with Disabilities Act National Network. Health care and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://adata.org/factsheet/health-care-and-ada 
    15. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Homelessness programs and resources. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.samhsa.gov/homelessness-programs-resources
    16. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Housing First in permanent supportive housing. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/Housing-First-Permanent-Supportive-Housing-Brief.pdf
    17. American Academy of Family Physicians. Advancing health equity by addressing the social determinants of health in family medicine (position paper). Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/social-determinants-health-family-medicine-position-paper.html 
    18. American Academy of Family Physicians. The EveryONE Project unveils team-based resources. Accessed July 3, 2023. https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/20180406everyoneteam-based.html   

     

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