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Tools and approaches for assessing and supporting public health action on the social determinants of health and health equity

This quick-reference guide, co-produced by the National Collaborating Center for Healthy Public Policy (NCCHPP) and the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (NCCDH), offers a condensed description of tools and approaches that can be used to 1) assess the conditions that create health inequities and 2) develop services designed to reduce these inequities.

The guide includes general evaluative information (e.g., objectives, sources of evaluation data, drawbacks and benefits), and examples for three categories of tools and approaches: 

1) Checklists and lenses
2) Processes such as health impact assessments, and equity-focused health impact assessments 
3) Support structures such as health equity offices

The document’s table formatting lets you quickly see similarities and differences among the tools and approaches, so you can find one best suited for a particular context. While the guide focuses on regions and authorities in Canada, it includes some international resources. 

Use this resource to:

  • Compare and contrast resources available to support public health action to advance health equity
  • See, at a glance, whether a tool has been used in Canada or whether it has been evaluated (two of numerous criteria listed in the tables)
  • Find the sources and download the tools and guides for local adaptation and use

National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (NCCDH) & National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy (NCCHPP). (2012).  Tools and approaches for assessing and supporting public health action on the social determinants of health and health equity: Comparative tables, November 2012. Montreal, QC & Antigonish, NS:  Mendell, A.,  Dyck, L., Ndumbe-Eyoh,  S., & Morrison, V.

Tags: Evaluation, Healthy public policy, Participate in policy development, Partner with other sectors, Other National Collaborating Centre, Document, Report / Document