Improving Engagement in Community Level Data Collection

Improving the Relevance, Accessibility and Utility of Public Health Data about the Social Determinants of Health

The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, play and age. 

To improve health outcomes for all, communities, public health officials and others need relevant and actionable data about the social determinants of health. This critical information can shape decisions and actions that support health and wellbeing. Data can be used to assure access to clean water, to make decisions about placement of preventive services, to plan community development efforts and in countless other ways. 

The Improving Engagement in Community Level Data Collection program included projects seeking to improve the relevance, accessibility and utility of public health data about the social determinants of health.

Our Projects:

Understanding Local Data Needs and Perspectives 

Powered by five local communities, this project gathered community perspectives on the ways public health survey systems can accurately reflect lived experiences and meet community needs. 

The National Alliance against Disparities in Patient Health (NADPH) and Data Equity Coalitions (DECs) in Atlanta, Detroit, Durham, Pittsburgh and San Antonio hosted interviews, focus groups and other feedback opportunities for their communities. The DECs are local organizations partnering with communities to improve the availability and use of data that addresses local priorities for health and wellbeing. 

Read the findings from these partner organizations: 

• Community Research Conversations by Black Equity Coalition
• Engaging Community on National Public Health Surveillance Data by Community Information Now 
• Piloting the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System Survey Modules with the Neighborhood Vitality Index by Data Driven Detroit
• Health Survey Questions on Racism by DataWorks NC 
• Improving Engagement in Community Level Data Collection by NADPH
• Improving Engagement in Community Level Data Collection by Neighborhood Nexus

Including Social Determinants of Health Measures in PLACES 

CDC’s Population-Level Analysis and Community Estimates (PLACES) web application, which provides model-based, user-friendly estimates of health measure for all U.S. counties, places, census tracts and ZIP Codes, now includes nine new social determinants of health measures: education, housing, housing cost burden, housing crowding, internet access, older persons, poverty, racial or ethnic minority status, single-parent households and unemployment. These measures complement existing PLACES measures, like health insurance and routine checkups. 

For more information, visit Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and PLACES Data. 

Assessing the Social Determinants of Health in Birthing Populations 

CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health team used Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data on attitudes and experiences before, during and shortly after pregnancy to calculate state- and county-level estimates across 40 states and jurisdictions for nine indicators related to the social determinants of health, including postpartum visit attendance, insurance status, postpartum depression, intimate partner violence, problems paying rent, mortgage or other bills as well as other indicators. The estimates were shared with states and jurisdictions for their use in planning initiatives seeking to improve health and well-being among pregnant and birthing populations. 

To learn more about how these estimates were calculated, see the project training document for additional details.

Promising Actions for Improving Data about Social Determinants of Health using Surveys 

Synthesizing findings from NADPH and the DECs, the CDC Foundation identified promising actions to improve public health survey systems and respond to community data needs about the social determinants of health. The report builds upon the CDC Foundation’s Data Equity Principles and adds to a growing set of data equity tools by providing insights on creating inclusive, accessible and effective survey systems that capture social determinants of health data. The report is intended for organizations and individuals managing large-scale (i.e., national, state, citywide or similar) public health survey systems; however, the findings can be applied to a range of data collection and dissemination activities within public health.

Our Partners:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPH)

• Division of Reproductive Health
• Division of Population Health

Local Data Equity Coalitions:

• The Black Equity Coalition and University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Social and Urban Research—Pittsburgh, PA
• Community Information Now (CI:Now)—San Antonio, TX
• Data Driven Detroit (D3)—Detroit, MI
• DataWorks NC—Durham, NC
• Neighborhood Nexus—Atlanta, GA

Research Partners:

• The National Alliance against Disparities in Patient Health (NADPH) —Woodbridge, VA
• Dr. Kimá Taylor at Anka Consulting, LLC

Learn more about our partners.

The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Government, or our partners. 

This program is made possible through funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.