In May 2023, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) released Pathways to Health for All – a new report from the Health Disparities and Health Equity Working Group.
The report makes innovative recommendations to advance the Institute’s health equity and health disparities research programs. It also includes guiding principles for embedding equity into research and tips for researchers, at NIDDK and externally, who plan to engage in robust health equity research.
Washington University Center for Diabetes Translation Research (WU-CDTR) Director, Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD, served as a Working Group Steering Committee member and Co-Chair for the “Interventions to Lesson Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) Effects, Eliminate Disparities, and Improve Health” Subgroup. The goals of the subgroup were as follows:
- Identify interventions that help people overcome adverse SDoH to improve health
- Meet individuals “where they live, work, play, learn, and pray” to understand strengths, resources, and challenges in their environments
- Identify opportunities to examine healthcare and community-based supports that will improve equitable access to health promoting services and care
The final report includes five overarching research recommendations, each with corresponding opportunities, for high-impact research and actionable strategies:
Read the full report (PDF). View the research recommendations infographic (PDF).