New Jersey Poll Finds Demographics Shape Perceptions of Health Equity
Skip to main content
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • Our Vision
    • Our Vision Overview
    • Why Health Equity
    • Focus Areas
    • Measuring RWJF Progress
  • Grants
    • Grants Overview
    • Active Funding Opportunities
    • Awarded Grants
    • Grantee Stories
    • Grant Process
    • Grantee Resources
  • Insights
    • Insights Overview
    • Blog
    • Our Research
    • Advocacy And Policy
  • About RWJF
    • About RWJF Overview
    • Our Guiding Principles
    • How We Work
    • Impact Investments
    • Staff And Trustees
    • Newsroom
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
Find A Grant

    Beliefs About Healthcare and Health Inequities in New Jersey

    Research Aug-19-2022 | Koning A , and Roman JL | 4-min read
    1. Insights
    2. Our Research
    3. New Jersey Poll Finds Demographics Shape Perceptions of Health Equity
    Download Report View health equity graphic View healthcare access graphic View race and health graphic Read news release

     

    Differences in Health Equity Perceptions

    In New Jersey—one the healthiest, wealthiest, most diverse states—residents with greater privilege and access to opportunities not only lead healthier lives but also are less likely to acknowledge that systemic factors including racism and discrimination contribute to poor health.

    A recent poll among about 2,500 New Jerseyans by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) reveals significant differences in perceptions of health equity. Just as a combination of personal experiences, race, gender, income, education, location, and other factors determine health in New Jersey, so too do they influence public awareness and perception of health inequities and their causes.

    Despite glaring health disparities along racial lines in New Jersey, only a third of those polled say they feel race and ethnicity have major influence on someone’s ability to lead a healthy life. Black residents (54%) are more likely to believe a person’s race or ethnicity significantly influences health, compared to white (30%), Hispanic (29%), and Asian (28%) respondents.

    The poll results will guide RWJF’s work in its home state to raise awareness of the roles that racism, discrimination, and social and environmental health factors play in achieving and perceiving health equity. Such awareness is crucial to build consensus and garner public support for policies that combat inequity by eliminating racial and economic barriers to good health.


    Key Findings

    • Most New Jerseyans perceive unequitable healthcare access, but fewer than half (39%) feel racial discrimination interferes with New Jersey residents’ ability to get quality healthcare a “great deal” or a “good amount.”
    • Women (81%) and urban residents (84%) are more likely than men and rural or suburban residents—by double digits—to say some people have a harder time accessing quality healthcare.
    • Black residents (56%) are more likely to say racial discrimination affects access to quality healthcare either a “great deal” or “good amount” compared to White (36%), Hispanic (39%), and Asian residents (40%).
    • Women (80%), Black residents (86%), and those living in urban areas (82%) are more likely than their counterparts—often by double digits—to strongly agree that all people should have the opportunity to lead a healthy life without disadvantages related to social position or other social determinants.
    • Perceptions differ along demographic lines on the role of individual-level and societal factors on health. About 80 percent feel such individual factors as personal health practices (82%) and a steady, well-paying job (81%) are major influences, but similar numbers say the same about such societal factors including affordable healthcare (80%), access to healthy foods (79%), safe, affordable housing (77%) and one’s physical environment (76%).
    • About 70 percent say quality childcare and education (72%), community safety (69%), access to safe and green spaces (67%), income (65%), and social support (64%) are major influences.
    • About 40 percent say genetics and biology are major influence on heath, and a third say the same about race and ethnicity. Women, Black, and urban residents tend to believe individual factors—particularly race and ethnicity, and genetics and biology—are major influences.


    Affordable Housing

    Financial challenges (57%) are the most common barriers to safe, desirable housing, in addition to discrimination of any kind (10%), costs associated with safer areas (8%) and lack of housing availability (2%).

    Women (24%), non-white, lower-income residents more likely to report housing barriers. Black (35%) and Hispanic (35%) residents are more than twice as likely as white (15%) and Asian (16%) residents to face housing barriers.

    Birth Justice

    Hispanic residents (26%) are more than four times as likely as white parents (6%), nearly four times as likely as Asian residents (7%), and about one-and-a-half times as likely as Black parents (16%) to rate prenatal care as “fair” or “poor.”

    Black (30%) and Hispanic (30%) residents are nearly twice as likely as white residents (17%) and slightly more likely than Asian residents (23%) to believe the state’s pregnant population is treated inadequately or unfairly due to their race or ethnicity “all” or “most” of the time.

    Public Health Preparedness

    White residents (48%) are more likely than Black (40%), Hispanic (42%), and Asian (35%) residents to believe New Jersey’s health system was “not very” or “not at all” well-prepared for a public health emergency like COVID-19.

    Nearly half feel their local health department was not as prepared as it should have been for a public health emergency. Hispanic residents (21%) are more likely to say their local health department was as prepared as it could have been or that nothing else could have been done to prepare for a public health emergency compared to white (14%), Black (13%), and Asian (13%) residents.

    Conclusion

    We can and must do better. Structural racism is not history. Unjust and unfair policies, practices, and norms underlie every aspect of society, enabling health inequities to persist despite medical advancements and investments intended to combat disparities.

    Systems and societal structures must offer everyone a fair chance to live healthy lives. It’s time to look beyond a person’s race to ensure they are given the same opportunities as someone else a few miles away, living in a more desirable neighborhood.

    The more people know about the causes of health disparities, the closer society will come to consensus needed to promote policies and practices that end those disparities. This is essential to the health and wellbeing of people who have endured generations of racial injustice, economic exclusion, and social marginalization.

    Related Content

    An aerial view of a city.

    New Jersey: Our Home State

    There are gaps in our New Jersey health system. Receive access and foster a richer understanding of the strategic decision-making behind N.J. funding.

    1-min read

    A woman and her baby at a farmers' market.

    Achieving Health Equity

    As health disparities in the United States continue to grow, RWJF's health equity toolkit provides resources, data, and examples of communities working to achieve better health for all.

    2-min read

    Report
    Parents with elementary school students going to school with face masks

    Seizing the Moment: How a Public Health Institute Would Advance Health Equity in New Jersey

    A poll among about 2,500 New Jerseyans reveals significant differences in perceptions of health equity and will guide RWJF’s work to raise awareness of the roles that racism, discrimination, and social factors play in achieving health equity. 

    2-min read

    Read more
    From the Field
    Gabriela and her mom Bonnie attend Deanna's workshop at the Eatonville Library.

    Maternity Action Plan: Building Sustainable Policy Change

    The Maternity Action Plan (MAP) is designed to be, literally, a map to navigate the journey to our mutual goals of improving quality and birth equity in Maternal Infant Health.

    Learn more about MAP
    From the Field
    VCU Center on Society and Health: Trenton, New Jersey, life expectancy map

    Where you Live Determines How Long You Live

    This map of Trenton, N.J. illustrates that opportunities to lead a long and healthy life can vary dramatically by neighborhood.

    View map
    SHOW MORE
    +

    SHARE

    Subscribe to receive Funding Alerts & more

    Explore the latest in reflection and research from subject matter experts at RWJF and our wide network of partners.

    Email address already subscribed. Please check your inbox to manage your subscriptions.

    Subscribed!

    Thank you. You are now subscribed.

    Tell us what type of content you want to receive.

    Be informed with our weekly newsletter updating you with relevant news and research around a Culture of Health, as well as the latest funding opportunities.

    Get funded by RWJF: Receive notifications when new funding opportunities are released.

    Receive monthly updates on RWJF-sponsored research that informs many robust health policy debates on Capitol Hill, covering topics like health equity, improving access to quality healthcare, equitable housing, and more.

    Shop talk for researchers. This monthly newsletter covers research news and opportunities from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

    Sometimes we have news, announcements or opportunities that don't quite fit the subscription parameters above. If you're interested, we'll send you this information under "There's more...". *If you've indicated you are an EU resident, we will only send these communications if you intentionally check this box.

    Yes! I want to tell you more about myself and receive personalized communications in the future.

    Area(s) Of Interest

    Which profession or pursuit best describes you?

    Unsubscribe

    Stop receiving all emails from RWJF

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    • CONTACT RWJF

      50 College Road East

      Princeton, NJ 08540-6614

       

      US Toll Free: (877) 843-7953

      International: +1 (609) 627-6000

    • MANAGE YOUR GRANTS

      MyRWJF Login

      • Twitter link
      • Facebook link
      • LinkedIn link
      • YouTube link

    • Our Vision
      • Our Vision Overview
      • Why Health Equity
      • Focus Areas
      • Measuring RWJF Progress
    • Grants
      • Grants Overview
      • Active Funding Opportunities
      • Awarded Grants
      • Grantee Stories
      • Grant Process
      • Grantee Resources
    • Insights
      • Insights Overview
      • Blog
      • Our Research
      • Advocacy And Policy
    • About RWJF
      • About RWJF Overview
      • Our Guiding Principles
      • How We Work
      • Impact Investments
      • Staff And Trustees
      • Newsroom
      • Careers
      • Contact Us

    ©2001- 

    Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. All Rights Reserved. 

     

    • Manage Email
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms and Conditions