Special Communication

Ten Core Concepts for Ensuring Data Equity in Public Health

JAMA Health Forum 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2025.6031

January 09, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST

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Data equity is a foundational requirement for producing trustworthy inference and actionable evidence. When data equity is built into public health research from the start, technological and digital advances are more likely to improve health outcomes for everyone rather than widening existing health gaps. These 10 core concepts can be used to operationalize data equity in public health. Although data equity is an essential first step, it does not automatically guarantee information, learning, or decision equity. Advancing data equity must be accompanied by parallel efforts in information theory and structural changes that promote informed decision-making.

Corresponding Author: Bhramar Mukherjee, PhD, Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510 (bhramar.mukherjee@yale.edu).

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