Resources & Style Guides for Framing Health Equity & Avoiding Stigmatizing Language

CDC's Guiding Principles

CDC's Guiding Principles to Promote an Equity-Centered Approach to Public Health Communication

Article on HEGP published in August 2021.

Source: CDC Preventing Chronic Disease Journal.

Citation: Calanan R.M., Bonds M.E., Bedrosian S.R., Laird S.K., Satter D., Penman-Aguilar A.

CDC's Guiding Principles to Promote an Equity-Centered Approach to Public Health Communication. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:230061.

Health Equity Guiding Principles Fact Sheet

An introduction to inclusive communication.

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Accessibility

• CIDI webinars: Webinars and tools that provide training and awareness on COVID-19 and accessibility to all
  • Source: Georgia Tech Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI)

• Accessibility @ HHS: HHS' role in accessibility; includes compliance checklist, Office of the Secretary Accessibility Program, and other resources
  • Source: HHS 508 compliance

Community engagement

• Principles of Community Engagement: Guidance for engaging partners in projects that may affect them available in English, Spanish, and French
  • Source: CDC/ATSDR Principles of Community Engagement

• Community Engagement Playbook: Playbook to guide CDC/ATSDR staff, funded partners, public health professionals, and state, territorial, local, and tribal (STLT) partners through four phases and nine key activities of community engagement
  • Source: CDC/ATSDR

• Build Healthy Places Network: National initiative to foster collaboration between the community development and health sectors to advance health equity
  • Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

• Tamarack Institute: Guidance for engaging and collaborating with communities
  • Source: Tamarack Institute

• How to Conduct a Rapid Community Engagement: A guide and tools to understand your community's needs to inform program

Culture and language

• National CLAS Standards: HHS' Office of Minority Health national standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate services in health and health care framework for organizations to serve the nation's increasingly diverse communities
  • Source: National CLAS Standards

Disability

• Communicating With and About People with Disabilities: Preferred (person-first) terms for person/people with a disability
  • Source: CDC/NCBDDD

• Person-First Language: A partial glossary of disability terms
  • Source: University of New Hampshire – University Center on Disability

• Get Started Tools – National Center on Disability in Public Health: A series of tools designed to increase the capacity of public health providers to include people with disabilities in their public health plans and efforts
  • Source: Association of University Centers on Disabilities

• Improving Access to Care for People with Disabilities: Use this page to find tools and resources that can help you improve services and help patients understand their rights
  • Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

• Community and Culture – Frequently Asked Questions: Some frequently asked questions that reflect the diversity of the deaf and hard of hearing community
  • Source: National Association of the Deaf

Disparities, race and ethnicity

• CDC's Guiding Principles to Promote an Equity-Centered Approach to Public Health Communication Tools for Public Health Practice; Preventing Chronic Disease Journal – Volume 20 – July 6, 2023. Renee M. Calanan, PhD, MS; Michelle E. Bonds, MBA; Sara R. Bedrosian, BA, BFA; Susan K. Laird, DNP, MSN, RN; Delight Satter, MPH Ana Penman-Aguilar, PhD, MPH.
• Talking About Disparities: The Effect of Frame Choices on Support for Race-Based Policies: Description of framing strategies that do and do not work to improve support for policies related to race/ethnicity
  • Source: FrameWorks Institute

• Racial Equity in Public Policy Message Guide: Health equity message guide with a focus on racial equity
  • Source: American Heart Association/ Voices for Healthy Kids Initiative

• Quality Improvements & Interventions: Resources and tools on evidence-based interventions that can contribute to reducing health disparities and lowering cost.
  • Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

• Racism and Health | Minority Health: CDC's commitment to addressing racism as an obstacle to health equity
  • Source: CDC

• The Groundwater Approach: Explanation about the root causes of racism and racial inequity
  • Source: Racial Equity Institute

Drug/Substance abuse

• Commonly Used Terms: Definition of terms related to drug/substance use; preferred terms
  • Source: CDC/NCIPC

Emergency response

• Language Guidelines for Inclusive Emergency Preparedness (frcog.org): Language guidance for referring to people with disabilities and others who may be disproportionately impacted in a disaster
  • Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Office of Disability Integration and Coordination

Global

• Global Public Health Equity Guiding Principles for Communication: Guidance for communication that advances health equity and inclusion globally
  • Source: CDC

Health equity

• APHA Health Equity Fact Sheets: APHA Health Equity Fact Sheets
  • Source: American Public Health Association
• Behavioral Health Equity: HHS/SAMHSA provides a number of resources about how health equity related to mental health/behavioral health
  • Source: HHS/SAMHSA
• CDC Health Equity Guiding Principles Fact Sheet: An introduction to Health Equity Guiding Principles for Inclusive Communication
  • Source: CDC
• Health Equity Guide: A health equity strategic plan to support CDC's CORE Health Equity Science and Intervention Strategy.
  • Source: CDC
• Communicating About Health Equity Concepts (CHEC): This resource offers public health professionals three evidence-based principles with tangible strategies to clearly and effectively communicate about health equity concepts with diverse audiences.
  • Source: CDC

• Health Equity Technical Assistance: CMS OMH offers health equity technical assistance resources, aimed to help health care organizations take action against health disparities
  • Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• What is Health Equity? And What Difference Does a Definition Make?: Terms that often arise in discussions of health equity
  • Source: University of California San Francisco and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Health literacy and numeracy

• CDC Clear Communication Index: A research-based tool to help develop and assess public communication materials
  • Source: CDC
• Health Literacy: For health communicators, public health professionals, and community leaders who seek information and tools on health literacy research, practice, and evaluation
  • Source: CDC
• Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Frequently Asked Questions: Estimates of adult competencies and proficiency levels for literacy reported in the U.S.
  • Source: Health Literacy: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
• PIACC Proficiency Levels for Literacy: Description of PIAAC proficiency levels for literacy
  • Source: Health Literacy: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
• Guiding Principles for the Use of Terminology in Adult Literacy: Guiding principles for use when talking about adult literacy
  • Source: European Literacy Policy Institute
• Do No Harm Guide: Applying Equity Awareness in Data Visualization: Equitable awareness in data visualizations
  • Source: The Urban Institute

Obesity

• Weight Bias Resources: Resources for people-first language for obesity, guidelines for media portrayals of people with obesity, and an image gallery of appropriate images of people with obesity
  • Source: Obesity Action Coalition

Pregnancy

• Beyond Labels: CDC-funded project to reduce health-related stigma around health conditions or behaviors during pregnancy
  • Source: March of Dimes

Race and ethnicity

• OMB standards: Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity
  • Source: Office of Management and Budget

• Keywords – Latinx/e/a/o & Hispanic Studies Library Guide: Variations in keyword use among Hispanic, Latino, and Latina populations
  • Source: Tulane University Libraries

Related sites

• NCEH/ATSDR Clear Writing Hub: Use this website to help you communicate clearly and effectively to all the audiences you serve.
  • Source: CDC

Scientific writing

• Preferred Usage: Preferred usage for terms and group descriptions
  • Source: CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal
• Advancing Health Equity, Eliminating Health Disparities, and Improving Population Health: Collection on health disparities and position statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Source: CDC Preventing Chronic Disease Journal

Sexual orientation and gender identity

• Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents: Suggestions for pediatric providers focused on promoting health and positive development of youth identifying as transgender and gender-diverse
  • Source: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

• GLAAD Media Reference Guide: Definition of LGBTQ terminology and terms to avoid
  • Source: GLAAD

• National Institute of Allery and Infectious Disease (NIAID) HIV Language Guide: This guide encourages the use of non-stigmatizing language throughout the HIV research enterprise (also available in: French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.)
  • Source: NIH/NIAID

Similar guidelines

• A Framework for Equity-Centered Health Communication (communicatehealth.com): A Framework for Equity-Centered Health Communication
  • Source: CommunicateHealth
• Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative, and Concepts: AMA/AAMC guidance for physicians and other health care professionals that promotes equity-focused-person-first language and why it matters
  • Source: American Medical Association (AMA) Center for Health Equity, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Center for Health Justice
• Bias-Free Language: APA guidelines that cover many important topics, including age, disability, racial and ethnic identity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status
  • Source: American Psychological Association (APA)
• Communicating about Health Equity principles (CHEC): Offers public health professionals three evidence-based principles with tangible strategies to clearly and effectively communicate about health equity concepts with diverse audiences.
  • Source: CDC
• Inclusive language | 18F Content Guide: Guidance for writing and talking about diverse groups of people
  • Source: U.S. General Services Administration
• PARC Suggested Language List: A tool to share information and suggestions about language usage.
  • Source: Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center (PARC)/ Brandeis University

Social determinants of health

• A New Way to Talk About the Social Determinants of Health: Guidance on framing the issues related to social determinants of health
  • Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Tribes, states, terriroties, and freely associated states

• Use of the words Tribe and Tribal: Considerations for using/capitalizing the terms Tribe and Tribal
  • Source: American Medical Association (AMA)
• CDC's Tribal Health website: CDC resources for tribal health
  • Note: The term Indian Country is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1151 and 40 C.F.R. § 171.3
  • Source: CDC
• CDC Style for US Territories and Freely Associated States | Island Affairs | CDC – The terms included in the guide should be used when communicating information related to territories and freely associated states. Although they are not the only terms that apply, they reflect terms that CDC and the Office of Island Affairs in the National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce (Public Health Infrastructure Center) have seen used most often in our work with these jurisdictions.
  • Source: CDC's Public Health Infrastructure Center, Office of Island Affairs: