Racial and Ethnic Representation of the Local Public Health Workforce

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11024643
AutoresCasey P Balio (0000-0002-2987-4268, Casey P. Balio, Haleigh Leslie, and Michael Meit are with the Center for Rural Health and Research and the Department of Health Services Management and Policy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City. H. Leslie is a DrPH candidate.), Haleigh Leslie (0009-0005-6069-0722, Casey P. Balio, Haleigh Leslie, and Michael Meit are with the Center for Rural Health and Research and the Department of Health Services Management and Policy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City. H. Leslie is a DrPH candidate.), Michael Meit (Ballad Health), Michael B Meit (Casey P. Balio, Haleigh Leslie, and Michael Meit are with the Center for Rural Health and Research and the Department of Health Services Management and Policy, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City. H. Leslie is a DrPH candidate.)
Año2025
Volumen115
Número3
Páginas333-343
Fecha de publicación2025-03-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
EditorialAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2024.307903
PMID39700436
OpenAlexW4405595228
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas17

Objectives. To describe racial and ethnic representativeness of the local health department (LHD) workforce compared with the populations served. Methods. In this study, we used a cross-sectional design of the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey, 2019 National Association of County and City Health Officials Profile data, and other sources to estimate the racial and ethnic representativeness of LHD workforce. We calculated representativeness as a binary measure of at least representative of the populations served for each race and ethnicity group. We present bivariate analyses comparing LHD representativeness by region and rurality, and multivariate analyses to estimate the associations between representativeness, agency, and jurisdiction characteristics. This study was conducted in Tennessee in 2023. Results. Sixty percent of LHDs in the sample were at least representative of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color populations they serve. For most race and ethnicity groups, urban-serving LHDs were more representative of the populations they serve than rural-serving LHDs. Conclusions. Racial and ethnic representativeness of the LHD workforce varies by rurality, region, and race or ethnicity. These findings may help inform training, recruitment, and retention efforts in public health. ( Am J Public Health. 2025;115(3):333–343. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307903 )

Environmental health · Ethnic group · Geography · Indigenous · Political science · Public health · Representativeness heuristic · Rural area · Rurality · Sociology · Workforce · Demography · Global Health Workforce Issues · Medicine · Nursing · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Psychology · Public Health Policies and Education · Social Psychology · Gerontology