Women's Health Equity Study

Highlighting the leading health concerns for BIPOC and marginalized women in Clark County.

Odyssey World International Education Services is collaborating with Southwest Washington Accountable Communities of Health (SWACH) to conduct a Women’s Health Equity Research Project.

WHAT IS HEALTH EQUITY?

According to the World Health Organization, health equity is “the absence of unfair, unavoidable, or remediable differences among groups of people, whether those groups are defined socially, economically, demographically, geographically or by other dimensions of social inequality (such as sex, gender, ethnicity, disability, or sexual orientation).

Health equity is shaped by social and environmental aspects of communities such as where people are born, live, work, and play, and also biological determinants. Structural determinants of health equity - the political, legal, and economic aspects of institutional processes - shape the distribution of resources and power within health care systems. Discriminatory practices are built into institutional processes and exclude under-represented and marginalized groups from decision-making at all levels within health care systems (World Health Organization).

ABOUT PROJECT

OBJECTIVE:

This research uses an intersectional framework and Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods to examine how social determinants impact women of color’s health and well-being in Clark County, WA.

WHY DO WE DO THIS:

As a Black mother/daughter duo, OWIES directors Karen and Loveita Morrison have experienced first hand how women of color are dismissed, disrespected, and go unheard when seeking health care. These experiences are all too common for BIPOC and marginalized women across the nation.

Recent data by the Society for Women’s Health Information highlighted disparities in women’s health across the lifespan, all of which are further exacerbated when accounting for race/ethnicity. In other words, we know that different groups of women experience a wide range of outcomes in the health, wellness, and healthcare arenas. We want to understand how the experiences of women of color in Clark County compare to the national statistics reported.

FRAMEWORK

Research shows that some health issues and chronic diseases impact women solely, differently, or disproportionately. Women are more likely to be dismissed by health care providers.

Disparities are exacerbated for women of color. For instance, Black women report more negative experiences with health care providers than other groups.

Health systems can not only fail to provide access to high quality services to meet their health needs, but also can harm women as they try to receive care when they need it.

Representation based on gender, race, and ethnicity in health care are essential, but female providers of color are severely lacking.

We need our community to flourish. This happens in the presence of close interpersonal relationships and feelings of connectedness when basic needs are also being met.

RESEARCH FINDINGS:

When women have their basic needs, health care needs, social, and community needs met, they flourish.

Many participants of our BIPOC participants spoke to an experience with medical racism. This happens on different levels:
- Interpersonal level:
  - Providers being dismissive, making assumptions based on race, ethnicity, and gender, and disrespectful by acting as if your needs and preferences do not matter
- Structural level:
  - Barriers to health care
  - Access to culturally competent care from providers that align with your gender, race, and ethnicity, and culturally significant care

Women use various strategies to navigate and overcome health care obstacles:
- They challenged medical harm by rejecting harmful prescribed treatments and retreating from the health care system entirely
- They removed constraints from limited choice sets by finding different health care options altogether
- They developed self advocacy AND social support networks by connecting with other women in their communities

MOVING TO ACTION

Better resources to meet basic needs

Addressing the Impacts of Systemic Harm in Health Care
- Build from birth with doula care
- Build trust between patients and providers
- Increase access to providers of color in our region

Address environmental issues
- Be dedicated to improving the quality of our air, water, and food
- Improve food sovereignty for marginalized communities

Improving Access to Health Care
- Better access to Naturopathic and Culturally Significant Care

REFERENCES

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Health equity. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/health-equity#tab=tab_2
Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43 (6),1241-1299.
Society for Women’s Health Research. (2021). Women’s health equity initiative. https://swhr.org/programs/womens-health-equity-initiative/
Temkin, S.M., Barr, E., Moore, H., Caviston, J.P., Regensteiner, J.G., & Clayton, J.A. (2023). Chronic conditions in women: The development of a National Institutes of Health framework. BMC Women’s Health, 23 (162), 1-11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10077654/
Artiga, S., Gonzalez-Barrera, A., Montero, A., Hill, L., Presiado, M., Kirzinger, A., & Lopes, L. (2023, December 5). Survey on racism, discrimination and health: Experiences and impacts across racial and ethnic groups. Kaiser Family Foundation
Sharp, S., Hixson, A., Stumpff, J., & Williamson, F. (2022). Understanding the experiences of black women medical students and residents: A narrative review. Frontiers in Public Health 10, 1-9, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9237355/
Vedantam, S. (Host). (2024, June 10). Why you feel empty. [Audio podcast episode]. In Hidden Brain. NPR. https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/hidden-brain/why-you-feel-empty-PRVXOJEHMef/

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