Incorporating underrepresented voices in public health evaluation

Abstract Information: There is growing attention on addressing inequities in health, which are differences in health status or the distribution of health resources among population groups, arising from the social conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. The social determinants of health (SDOH), including education, employment status, and income level, can impact access to care and health outcomes. Given these inequities, it is important to include diverse perspectives from populations at risk when evaluating health programs. The goal of this session is to describe our experiences incorporating diverse perspectives in public health evaluation and share strategies for gathering quality data from underrepresented populations. Examples include providing a safe space for people to share their experiences, utilizing evaluators with lived experience, and ensuring cultural competency in data collection tools. Incorporating diverse perspectives is crucial to developing health programs that seek to address the SDOH and make an impact.