“Health disparities refer to the differences in disease risk, incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality and other adverse conditions, such as unequal access to quality health care, that exist among specific population groups in Connecticut. Population groups may be based on race, ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic position, immigrant status, sexual minority status, language, disability, homelessness, and geographic area of residence. Specifically, health disparities refer to those avoidable differences in health that result from cumulative social disadvantages” (Stratton, Hynes and Nepaul. 2007. Issue Brief: Defining Health Disparities. Hartford, CT: Connecticut Department of Public Health).

 

The Connecticut Health Disparities Project was a two-year effort by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) to improve the statewide infrastructure for documenting, reporting, and addressing health disparities among racial and ethnic minority residents of our state. It was supported by a generous grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation. The four objectives of this project are:

The project was structured as a cooperative agreement with the Connecticut Health Foundation, a non-profit funding agency which has selected racial and ethnic health disparities as one of its three program priority areas. Connecticut Health Disparities Project staff at DPH worked closely with other statewide partners to carry out these project objectives. A long-term goal is to build sustainability of this two-year initiative in collaboration with our statewide partners.

 

All of the products and publications of the project, such as Issue Briefs, presentations and reports, are found below. Other health disparities-related information is available at the DPH Health Disparities web page.

 

The Connecticut Health Disparities Project (2006-2008) was staffed by epidemiologists Ava Nepaul, M.A., M.P.H and Alison Stratton, Ph.D.; and directed by Margaret M. Hynes, Ph.D., M.P.H.

 

Connecticut Department of Public Health Policy on Collecting Sociodemographic Data; September 2008 (PDF 253KB)
The Spatial Context of Health Disparities: A Literature Review; September 2008 (PDF 122KB)

The Collection of Race, Ethnicity, and Other Sociodemographic Data in Connecticut Department of Public Health Databases; October 2007 (PDF 2MB) (Report Cover, PDF 1MB)

 

 

The Spatial Context of Health Disparities: A Literature Review; December 2008 (PDF 2MB)

A Protocol for Geocoding Connecticut Mortality Databases; December 2008 (PDF 5MB)

The Spatial Context of Health Disparities in Connecticut: The Role of Local Poverty Levels; December 2008 (PDF 3MB)

The Changing Meaning of Race in the Social Sciences: Some Implications for Research and Social Policy; September 2008 (PDF 50KB)

Presentation to the Connecticut Multicultural Health Partnership: The Connecticut Health Disparities Project; July 2008 (PDF 161KB)

An Examination of the Use of Race/Ethnicity in State Health Disparities Reports; April 2007 (PDF 316KB)

 

Defining Health Disparities; Summer 2007 (PDF 410KB)
Race and Ethnicity Matters: Concepts and Challenges of Racial and Ethnic Classifications in Public Health; Fall 2007 (PDF 359KB)

 

 

Each month, The Connecticut Health Disparities Project selects a “Paper of the Month” that reflects current areas of interest of people involved in Project activities. These papers are chosen for the “food for thought” they present for people involved in health disparities topics [and should not be construed as an endorsement of, or agreement with, the authors' arguments].

 

Papers of Month - 2007 (PDF 67KB)

 

 

 

Academic Advisory Group
 

The Connecticut Health Disparities Project Academic Advisory Group (PDF 30KB) provides a listing of the advisory group members and their affiliations.

 

 

 

Project Description and Objectives (PDF 84KB)
Grant Press Release, 2006 (PDF 37KB)

 

 

For more information, please contact:

dphhealthequity@ct.gov
Connecticut Department of Public Health

Office of Health Equity
860-509-7140