The OPHS states that boards of health shall use local health information to identify health inequities and priority populations. This includes developing public health interventions that consider the unique needs of the community, and that focus on reducing health inequities experienced by priority populations. Efforts to address these aspects include supporting stakeholders in health equity analysis, policy development, and advancing healthy public policies to decrease health inequities. Health Equity is a Foundational Standard in the OPHS; as such, these aspects are to be integrated throughout the implementation of public health interventions. Examples of local data related to priority populations and social determinants of health include:
- According to the 2016 Census, 1 in 4 WEC children under age 5 (26.0%) lived in poverty and nearly 1 in 10 children in WEC were moderately or severely food insecure (a measure of income-dependent food accessibility).
- Between 2007-2017 rates of emergency room visits in Windsor and Essex County related to self-harm were 53.1% higher for women as compared to men.
- In 2017, the rate of alcohol-related emergency department visits was 4.8 times greater among residents from impoverished areas in the community.
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The rate of Windsor and Essex County residents visiting the emergency department for mental health-related outcomes was seven-times higher for residents of low socioeconomic status compared to residents of high socioeconomic status in 2017.