Data Graphics

September is Hunger Action Month and new data analysis from HPIO shows that nearly 30% of Black Ohioans and one in four Latino Ohioans were food insecure in 2022.

Access to healthy food is a major contributor to overall health. Factors like discrimination and poverty can cause barriers to opportunity, such as an inability to access healthy food.

Data from Feeding America found that an estimated 1,653,610 Ohioans were food insecure in 2022. As illustrated above, there is a large racial disparity in food access in Ohio. The 2024 Health Value Dashboard found that Ohio ranks in the bottom half of states and D.C. (34th) in food access and food insecurity.

Later this month, HPIO will release a new report on how new federal opportunities in the Medicaid program can be leveraged by state and local partners to support housing and nutrition services in Ohio.

HPIO has released a new policy brief titled, Creating a Financially Prosperous Ohio: Strategies to Improve Family Financial Security.

When Ohioans live in communities that support their health and economic well-being, their families thrive. However, many families are struggling to pay their rent, put food on their tables, cover their healthcare expenses and save for the future.

Financial insecurity can negatively impact a variety of health and well-being outcomes across generations, including exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood). This can negatively affect children’s long-term mental, physical and financial health. As illustrated above, children in families earning more income are less likely to experience two or more ACEs.

Still, Ohioans are resilient, and Ohio leaders can create environments and opportunities that allow every family to thrive. This brief includes:

• Data and information on how financial insecurity affects families’ health, well-being and ACEs exposure
• Perspectives from participants in an evidence-based program that supports financial security
• Data and information on the factors contributing to financial security
• Strategies for how public and private partners can support financial prosperity and prevent childhood adversity

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released a new data snapshot highlighting health in rural and Appalachian Ohio.

Living in communities with access to opportunity and resources is a key contributor to Ohioans’ health, well-being and economic security. There are many positive aspects of living in rural areas of Ohio, but the more than 2.3 million Ohioans who live in rural counties face a number of challenges that contribute to poor health outcomes.

The snapshot illustrates differences in community conditions, access to care, poverty and chronic stress. It also highlights health outcomes, such as deaths among working-age Ohioans. As illustrated above, early deaths have increased in Ohio over the past decade, and Ohioans living in rural, Appalachian counties continue to die early at a much higher rate than other rural counties or Ohio overall.

The snapshot also includes links to resources for state and local leaders. According to the snapshot, “There are many effective strategies that state and local leaders can use to ensure that Ohioans living in rural areas have access to the resources and environments needed to promote health and well-being.”

HPIO's statewide Health Policy Summit will feature a breakout session with Nationwide Children's Hospital researchers highlighting lessons learned from implementation of a pediatric Medicaid innovation model aimed at improved health outcomes and cost savings in rural and Appalachian Ohio. The Summit will be held on Thursday, Oct. 3 in Columbus. To learn more, and to register, visit HPIO's website.

New data analysis from HPIO has found that Ohioans in rural areas face greater challenges to accessing health care providers than the state overall. As illustrated above, rural counties have a lower rate of primary care, dental and mental health providers per capita than the state overall. And the bottom 10 counties for provider rates in all three categories are rural or partially rural counties.

Health is closely tied to the communities in which an individual lives, works and plays and ensuring access to medical services in rural areas can significantly improve health outcomes and reduce disparities.

On Wednesday Aug. 21, HPIO is hosting a free webinar titled "Spotlight on Rural Health: Innovative Solutions for Equity and Access.” The webinar will highlight rural healthcare infrastructure, access and health disparities. Speakers will explore unique health equity challenges in a rural context, how policy change can address challenges in rural healthcare access, and strategies for local and state policymakers to address workforce and specialist shortages in rural areas.

July is Disability Pride Month, and new analysis from HPIO found that more than 1 in 3 Ohio adults (2,791,694) have a disability. This diverse group encompasses Ohioans from all backgrounds and regions of the state.

Many Ohioans will experience one or more disabilities during their lifetimes, and people with disabilities continue to face barriers that can limit their ability to thrive. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Urban Institute has found that experiences of discrimination and social isolation, as well as unequal access to employment opportunities and affordable health care can take a mental and physical toll on people with disabilities.

As illustrated above, 41% of Ohioans with disabilities experience frequent mental distress (14 or more mentally unhealthy days in the past 30 days), compared with 11% of Ohioans without disabilities. If that disparity was eliminated, 653,479 fewer Ohioans with disabilities would experience frequent mental distress.

Disability Pride Month happens every July to increase visibility and combat stigma faced by members of the disability community. It also marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation passed 34 years ago today on July 26, 1990, that broke down barriers to inclusion. To close gaps in outcomes for Ohioans with disabilities, HPIO’s 2024 Health Value Dashboard highlights the importance of strengthening enforcement of civil rights protections and improving accessibility in employment and healthcare settings.

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and Ohio data shows that Black and Hispanic Ohioans experience more mental distress than the state overall and are also more likely to face challenges in obtaining needed mental health care.

According to 2021 data from the Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey (OMAS), 12.3% of Hispanic adults in Ohio and 10.7% of Black adults in Ohio reporting feeling mentally distressed in 14 or more days over the past month, compared to the overall state rate of 8.2%, as illustrated above. That equals more than 110,000 Black Ohioans and more than 35,000 Hispanic Ohioans reporting frequent mental distress.

Although a large number of Ohioans of color face mental health challenges, many are not getting the care they need. According to OMAS , 11.7% of Hispanic Ohioans (more than 31,000) and 10.2% of Black Ohioans (more than 98,000) had unmet mental health need in the past 12 months, compared to the state overall (7.5%).

According to the equity profiles included in HPIO’s 2024 Health Value Dashboard, “racism is a primary driver of poor outcomes” experienced by both Black and Latino Ohioans.

The Dashboard found that “Increasing trust and engagement between policymakers and members of Black and Latino communities, increasing provider diversity and cultural humility skill development and providing equitable access to financing and employment opportunities can close gaps in outcomes” for Black and Latino Ohioans.