Glossary of health equity concepts for public health action in the Canadian context

Abstract

Despite increased interest in addressing health equity through public health initiatives, practitioner and decision maker comprehension of core concepts is limited and inconsistent. Absence of a shared understanding of equity and related terminology contributes to lack of coordinated solutions as practitioners focus on individual level issues, unrelated to social justice. Taking action to decrease population health inequities requires a comprehension of where inequities are rooted, who is affected and interventions that consider the complexity of inequities being addressed. Public health decision making would be strengthened with greater common understanding of health equity concepts and terminology as an initial step to collaborative action. This glossary defines key concepts related to health equity in public health practice as well as broad-level approaches for taking action on health inequities at a population health level. Exploring terminology in this way supports going beyond individual practitioner responsibility and shifts towards organisational accountability for action.