Jessica L. Owens-Young

American University Washington D.C. | AU · Department of Health Studies

Objectives: Despite improvements in infant mortality rates (IMR) in the United States, racial gaps in IMR remain and may be driven by both structural racism and place. This study assesses the relationship between structural racism and race-specific IMR and the role of urban-rural classification on race-specific IMR and Black/White racial gaps in I...

Recent attention to the interrelationship between racism, socioeconomic status (SES) and health has led to a small, but growing literature of empirical work on the role of structural racism in population health. Area-level racial inequities in SES are an indicator of structural racism, and the associations between structural racism indicators and s...

Objectives: To examine: (a) the level of public health agency employees’ perceived desirability for impacting health equity and SDoH, and (b) the impact of employee characteristics such as public health degree and awareness of Health in All Policies on such desirability. Methods: Data from the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Surve...

Children with disabilities are likely to have unmet health needs, including access to quality health care, and many face significant challenges related to poor housing conditions. Studies find significant negative correlations between neighborhood disadvantage and health and education outcomes for students with disabilities (SWDs). SWDs are overrep...

Purpose: Achieving health equity requires addressing the social determinants of health, which philanthropy has supported through community development grants. This study analyzes health topics that have been integrated into community development grants. Methods: Community development grants from 2010 to 2017 were analyzed for health topics in Balti...

Obesity rates in the U.S. are associated with area-level, food-related characteristics. Studies have previously examined the role of structural racism (policies/practices that advantaged White Americans and deprived other racial/ethnic minority groups), but racial inequalities in socioeconomic status (SES) is a novel indicator. The aim of this stud...

Context: Despite a growing consensus in public health to address health inequities and leverage social determinants of health (SDoH), the level of public health practitioners' readiness to become the agents of change in promoting health equity and shaping SDoH is not well researched. Objectives: To examine (1) the level of public health agency e...

Although understanding race differences in health behaviors among men is an important step in reducing disparities in leading causes of death in the United States, progress has been stifled when using national data because of the confounding of race, socioeconomic status, and residential segregation. The purpose of this study is to examine the natu...

We conducted a legal mapping study of state bills related to racial/ethnic health disparities in all 50 states between 2002 and 2011. Forty-five states introduced at least 1 bill that specifically targeted racial/ethnic health disparities; we analyzed 607 total bills. Of these 607 bills, 330 were passed into law (54.4%). These bills approached elim...

State health departments are at the core of the United States (U.S.) public health infrastructure. Surveillance to monitor trends in disease and injury; the development, coordination, and delivery of services; and public education are some of the core functions health department employees oversee every day. As such, agencies and their employees are...

Demographic changes and economic uncertainty in the United States have highlighted the persistence of racial and ethnic health disparities and the need to achieve health equity. One approach states have taken to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities is the development and implementation of state Offices of Minority Health (OMHs). Currently...

Background: In 2012, 2,380 civilians died in residential house fires in the U.S.; another 12,875 were injured. Residential sprinkler systems (RSS) are an effective intervention for preventing home fire-related injuries and deaths. Little is known about the experiences of homeowners with RSS and their support for policies that mandate RSS in new hom...

Objectives: We examined critical budget and priority criteria for state health agencies to identify likely decision-making factors, pressures, and opportunities in times of austerity. Methods: We have presented findings from a 2-stage, mixed-methods study with state public health leaders regarding public health budget- and priority-setting proce...

State public health agencies use funding formulas as a part of their budget setting process to allocate funds to local public health agencies, among other strategies. Previous research has shown that a variety of stakeholders are involved in developing funding allocation strategies, including in developing statutory or regulatory mandates for fundi...

Recent efforts from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials has given researchers new insights into how much state health agencies are spending on public health. However, we continue to lack a systematic understanding of why leaders of state health agencies spend funds in the way that they do. An important component of budget- and...

Despite significant improvements in life expectancy and quality of life over the past century, health among some racial and ethnic populations in the United States remains a paradox. Since the 1985 Heckler Report, which highlighted to significant and persistent inequalities in health outcomes among non-White populations, states have sought ways to...

Background/Purpose: Residential fires are a major cause of injury, accounting for 2,520 civilian deaths and 13,910 injuries in 2011. Residential sprinklers are an effective countermeasure for preventing home fire-related injuries and deaths. As of January 2013, more than 300 localities and two states required residential sprinklers in all new singl...

Context: State health departments across the country are responsible for assuring and improving the health of the public, and yet financial constraints grow only more acute, and resource allocation decisions become even more challenging. Little empirical evidence exists regarding how officials working in state health departments make these tough a...

The Affordable Care Act is poised to significantly alter the healthcare environment, notably removing barriers to access. The ACA will also have critical impacts on public health practice, including how public health departments operate and set priorities. As more individuals are shifted into healthcare coverage and some barriers to healthcare are...

Despite much theoretical work in how and what type of ethical principles ought to be utilized in public health practice, there is little empirical understanding of how and where ethical principles and concepts actually are utilized, explicitly or implicitly, in practice. This presentation seeks to address this gap in knowledge -- specifically in ho...

State health agencies are faced with many constraints while making resource allocation decisions - politics, finances, as well as statutory and regulatory mandates, among others. The aim of this project is to quantify the frequency and impact of common actions occurring in the resource allocation process at state health agencies, and examine differ...

Public health is often defined by the sciences on which it is based (eg, epidemiology, tropical medicine, biostatistics) or the programs a health department operates. Far too often the critical role of the health official in garnering political support, financial resources, and public support is not recognized when defining the scope of our system....

In the United States, the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population has the highest motor vehicle death rate, which is significantly greater than that of any other race or ethnic group. To better understand why this significant disparity exists and how to eliminate it, the authors conducted a systematic review of the published scientific...