All Utahns have fair and equitable access to culturally appropriate public health, healthcare, and social services through a transformative health equity practice within DHHS.
All people in Utah have fair and equitable access to data-informed and evidenced-based health services and systems.
Percent of indicators by race and ethnicity which show an improvement in disparity gap
Current Value
14%
Definition
Measure Definition
This measure is an aggregate of three measures of improvements in indicators related to 1) access to healthcare and preventive services; 2) maternal and child health; 3) mental and behavioral health. Access to healthcare and preventive services is defined by six indicators, including 1) health insurance; 2) primary care provider; 3) cost as a barrier to healthcare; 4) influenza immunization; 5) routine medical check-up; and 6) routine dental visit. Maternal and child health is defined by four indicators, including 1) first trimester prenatal care; 2) preterm birth; 3) births to adolescents; and 4) infant mortality. Mental and behavioral health is defined by four indicators, including 1) recent poor mental health; 2) adolescent suicide ideation; 3) suicide deaths; and 4) overdose and poisoning deaths. Percentages or rates for each indicator will be reported for each of the six racial and ethnic groups (1) American Indian/Alaska Native; 2) Asian/Asian American; 3) Black/African American; 4) Hispanic/Latino; 5) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; and 6) White) in an appendix. Any improvement in percentages or rates from baseline to June 2024 will be counted as an improvement. The denominator will be 84 (14 indicators, each with percentages or rates for six racial and ethnic groups.) The data sources for these indicators are BRFSS, ESSENCE, birth certificates, and death certificates.
Story Behind the Curve
Health care and preventive services indicators
During the first period of data collection, 11.11% of access to health care and preventive services indicators by race ethnicity showed statistically significant improvements. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders showed improvement in accessing a health care provider and accessing health insurance, while both American Indian/Alaska Natives showed improvement in accessing influenza immunizations. There were no statistically significant improvements in accessing routine checkups, routine dental visits, and cost as a barrier to healthcare.
During the second period of data collection, 13.89% of access to health care and preventive services indicators by race ethnicity showed statistically significant improvements. Black/African Americans showed an improvement in routine dental checkups and accessing a health care provider. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders maintained their improvement in accessing a health care provider and healthcare coverage. Asian/Asian Americans declined in healthcare coverage and maintained that status during the second period of data collection. While showing improvements in the first period of data collection for influenza immunizations, both American Indian/Alaska Natives and Hispanic/Latinos showed declines during the second period of data collection.
Maternal and child health indicators
During the first period of data collection, 11.11% of maternal and child health indicators by race and ethnicity showed statistically significant improvements. Asian/Asian Americans showed improvement in first trimester prenatal care and Hispanic/Latinos showed improvement in pre-term birth outcomes. There were no statistically significant improvements in birth to adolescents.
During the second period of data collection, 11.11% of maternal and child health indicators by race and ethnicity showed statistically significant improvements. Asian/Asian Americans maintained their improvement in first trimester prenatal care during the second period of data collection. Similarly, Hispanic/Latinos maintained their improvement in preterm births.
Mental and behavioral health indicators
During the first period of data collection, 11.11% of mental and behavioral health indicators by race and ethnicity showed statistically significant improvements. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders and White Utahns showed improvement in suicide death rates. There were no statistically significant improvements in recent poor mental health days and suicide ideation.
During the second period of data collection, 16.67% of mental and behavioral health indicators by race and ethnicity showed statistically significant improvements. American Indian/Alaska Natives and Hispanic/Latinos showed significant declines in recent mental health. Both Whites and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders maintained their improvements in suicide death rates from the first period of data collection. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders showed an improvement in recent mental health during this period of data collection.