A concise summary detailing what this focus area is, why it matters, and who it is designed to help.
Nutrition Equity & Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Identify and reduce diet-related inequities by linking data to action—measuring disparities, targeting solutions, and tracking progress transparently.
Overview
Nutrition inequities are driven by structural factors—income, geography, access, affordability, and lived constraints—not just individual choices. We support stakeholders who want to measure disparities accurately, design interventions that are feasible for priority populations, and track whether actions reduce gaps over time. Our work connects equity-focused measurement with evaluation and decision-ready reporting so strategies are accountable, scalable, and grounded in real-world conditions.
Solutions Used
A list of methods and capabilities utilized to execute the work and achieve the objectives within this focus area.
- Dietary Surveillance & Measurement — To quantify diet quality and disparities across populations and settings, and track change over time.
- Data Science & Statistics — To analyze inequities, identify drivers and heterogeneity, and deliver transparent, reproducible results.
- Program Evaluation & Impact Measurement — To assess whether interventions reach intended groups, improve outcomes, and reduce gaps.
- Policy Modeling & Cost-Effectiveness — To compare scenarios and estimate equity and economic impacts of policy and program options, when relevant.
- Communication Science & Strategy — To support stakeholder engagement and communication approaches that build trust and improve uptake.
- Capacity Building & Training — To equip teams with practical tools and workflows for equity-centered measurement and implementation.
Key Measures
The specific clinical, economic, and programmatic indicators we track to quantify success and validate impact.
Depending on the question and setting, key measures may include:
- Disparities in Diet: subgroup differences in diet quality, key foods/nutrients, and affordability-related patterns.
- Access & Affordability: geographic access indicators, food environment measures, price/affordability constraints (as measurable).
- Reach & Targeting: whether programs/policies reach intended populations; enrollment/retention by subgroup.
- Outcome Equity: subgroup differences in health outcomes, program benefits, and unintended harms.
- Structural Drivers: associations with income, education, neighborhood context, and other SDOH indicators (as available).
- Accountability: transparent indicators, reporting cadence, and progress toward equity-focused targets.
- Community Acceptability: trust, satisfaction, and acceptability measures to support sustainable adoption.
Related Focus Areas
Complementary health domains, populations, and settings that frequently intersect with this area of expertise.
