Public Health Workforce Perceptions about Organizational Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Results from PH WINS 2021

Abstract

Objective: In response to calls to achieve racial equity, racism has been declared as a public health crisis. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an approach public health organizations are pursuing to address racial inequities in health. However, public health workforce perceptions about organizational commitment to DEI have not yet been assessed. Using a nationally representative survey of public health practitioners, we examine how perceptions about supervisors' and managers' commitment to DEI and their ability to support a diverse workforce relate to perceptions of organizational culture around DEI. Methods: Data from the 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) to examine the relationship between public health employees' perceptions about their organization's commitment to DEI and factors related to those perceptions. PH WINS received 44 732 responses (35% response rate). We calculated descriptive statistics and constructed a logistic regression model to assess these relationships. Results: Findings show that most public health employees perceive that their organizations are committed to DEI; however, perceptions about commitment to DEI vary by race, ethnicity, gender identity, and organizational setting. Across all settings, White respondents were more likely to agree with the statement, "My organization prioritizes diversity, equity, and inclusion" (range, 70%-75%), than Black/African American (range, 55%-65%) and Hispanic/Latino respondents (range, 62.5%-72.5%). Perception that supervisors worked well with individuals with diverse backgrounds had an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 5.37 (P