Health Equity, Young Children, and Families
A growing number of Minnesota’s very young children, have suboptimal health and development outcomes
because of racial and structural inequities that affect not only their own opportunities for health, safety, wellbeing and education, but also their parent and caregiver’s opportunities for these same things.
Health Equity refers to all people having what they need to reach their own full health potential
and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other
socially determined circumstances.1
People and organizations make decisions that influence the structures of society — decisions, for example,
about where to construct a road or bridge, where to open a bank, how much interest to charge on loans, or
how much funding to provide for public transit. The decisions of today are built on the decisions of the past.
When past or present decisions are made about the
structures and systems of society — e.g., finance,
housing, transportation, education — that benefit one
population at the expense of others (intended or not)
it creates a structural and/or racial inequity.
The good news is that these inequities are based in
policy decisions, and thus policy decisions can do
much to improve the situation.2
We now understand that experiences both positive
and negative stay with our bodies. The science of epigenetics asserts that while we start out with a given
genetic code, gene function can be altered (through experience and environment) without altering our DNA
sequence. So, even though a gene may be within a child’s sequence, it may not be expressed or the
expression may be hampered by chronic stress, adversity or trauma both in utero, early childhood and other
critical times of brain development (adolescence, early adulthood). These changes in expression can then be
passed to the next generation thus creating an intergenerational effect.3
Racism and other forms of discrimination, living in poverty, low educational attainment, poor access to public
transit or quality affordable childcare, and the inability to obtain affordable housing in a safe neighborhood
and have access to food are all factors that increase stress levels for pregnant and parenting families. These
are not one-time events but actual living conditions, leading to chronic and/or toxic stress.
1
Minnesota Department of Health (2013). Advancing Health Equity in Minnesota: Report to the Legislature.
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/healthequity/ahe_leg_report_020414.pdf
2
Ibid.
3
Middlebrooks JS, Audage NC. (2008). The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan. Atlanta (GA): Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
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