Health equity data analysis (HEDA)
Minnesota Department of Health
Health equity data analysis (HEDA) provides information on how to think about, collect, and analyze local data related to health equity. It provides a starting point for understanding how to document health inequities.
This guide provides a detailed process for analyzing health inequities in a local jurisdiction. The guide describes how to use data to identify health differences between population groups, instead of only examining the population as a whole. The process includes steps to identify and examine the causes of population differences in health, and emphasizes the importance of working in partnership at every step with communities experiencing inequities.
When to use
Use the HEDA guide when:
- You want to identify the health differences between population groups, and better understand the causes of these differences
- You want to expand the data you collect to include information about smaller ethnic and cultural communities
- You want to analyze data in a way that focuses on the conditions that create health
- You want to incorporate qualitative data into your analysis, to shed light on the root causes of health inequities and to develop solutions
You can also incorporate key HEDA principles into all local health assessment and planning activities (for example, engaging the community at every step, or that individual behaviors alone do not determine health).
You can use HEDA findings to educate potential partners about health inequities in a community, including policymakers, community leaders, community members, advocacy groups, employers, schools, and health care organizations.
Things to consider
To facilitate a HEDA, public health departments need to collaborate with a community with which it has a well-established relationship; if this relationship is not already present, the department needs to dedicate time and resources before the HEDA to develop this relationship.
The HEDA process may surface difficult questions or reveal tensions, which may lead you to question assumptions and current practices. Public health staff and community members need to have a positive, solid relationship with each other, to be able to grapple with tensions that may arise as the HEDA progresses.
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Health equity data analysis (HEDA)
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