Health Equity

All Escambia County residents should have the opportunity to make choices that allow them to live a long, healthy life, regardless of their income, education, or background.

According to the Center for Disease Control health equity is achieved when “everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible”. Achieving health equity requires focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and health care disparities.”

The Determinants of Health 

Powerful, complex relationships exist between health and biology, individual behavior, health services, socioeconomic status, the physical environment, discrimination, racism, literacy levels, and legislative policies. These factors, which influence an individual’s or population’s health, are known as determinants of health.

Examples of determinants of health include:

• High-quality education
• Nutritious food
• Decent and safe housing
• Affordable, reliable public transportation
• Culturally sensitive healthcare providers
• Health insurance
• Clean water and non-polluted air

Throughout the next decade, FDOH-Escambia will assess health disparities in our population by tracking rates of illness, death, chronic conditions, behaviors, and other types of outcomes in relation to demographic factors including:

• Race and ethnicity
• Gender
• Sexual identity and orientation
• Disability status or special health care needs
• Geographic location (rural and urban)

Additional Resources 

Food Access and Public Transportation (ppt; 13 MB)

The Determinants of Health - Dr. John Lanza (ppt; 21.7 MB)

Toxic Stress ACEs - Dr. John Lanza (ppt; 23.9 MB)

Health Equity - V. Turner (ppt: 5.82 MB)