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Research Brief: Screening, Access, and Equity — Five studies relevant to San Benito County Public Health Services
These five recent studies were selected because they address screening for social needs, barriers to reproductive and refugee health care access, community-engaged vaccine messaging, and adolescent firearm-related suicide risk — topics that map directly to San Benito County Public Health Services’ priorities on identifying community health needs, assuring service availability, and eliminating disparities through partnership and policy. Each study offers findings or approaches that can inform county-level assessment, outreach, service design, and prevention strategies for populations with elevated social or access needs.
Epidemiology of Health-Related Social Needs Screening and Positivity in a Multistate Health System.
In a 22-state retrospective cohort of nearly 1.9 million adults, 60% completed health‑related social needs (HRSN) screening and 29.5% reported at least one need. Black patients and Medicaid beneficiaries had lower adjusted odds of being screened but higher adjusted probabilities of positive screens and higher HRSN burden; inpatient screening reduced some underscreening observed in outpatient settings.
Why it matters for San Benito County Public Health Services
San Benito County Public Health Services’ priority to identify community health needs and reduce disparities can use these findings to refine where and how HRSN screening is deployed (e.g., expanding inpatient or other high-reach settings) and to target outreach and referral resources for publicly insured and racially minoritized residents. The results also support measuring both screening reach and positivity across subgroups to monitor equitable access and unmet need.
Patient-Reported Experiences of Abortion Travel.
Qualitative interviews with 208 out-of-state abortion seekers in Illinois found that travel for abortion care involved substantial structural, logistical, and emotional barriers and that bans and misinformation contributed to increased medical distrust, particularly among Black participants. Participants identified needs for centralized trusted resources, equitable funding, mental health support, and efforts to reduce biased care and misinformation.
Why it matters for San Benito County Public Health Services
San Benito County Public Health Services’ work on assuring quality health services and eliminating disparities is relevant to barriers described here: coordinated trusted resources, clear communication, and support for mental health and logistics can reduce access gaps for reproductive health among marginalized groups. These findings can inform local partnerships, client navigation models, and community-facing communications to mitigate distrust and logistical barriers for residents who face constrained service options.
Health and Health Care Access Among Afghan Refugee Women in the United States.
Interviews with 23 Afghan refugee women in the San Francisco Bay Area identified five themes: inadequate interpretation and communication, persistent patriarchal norms limiting autonomy, structural barriers that drive use of home remedies, sociocultural barriers to sexual and reproductive health knowledge, and widespread mental health distress expressed through somatic idioms. Participants reported mistrust from insensitive care and language-related miscommunication that impeded access and quality.
Why it matters for San Benito County Public Health Services
San Benito County Public Health Services’ emphasis on community partnership and equity makes these findings directly applicable to services for immigrant and refugee populations: invest in linguistically accurate interpretation, culturally informed reproductive and mental health outreach, and refugee-serving partnerships to address structural barriers and trauma-informed care needs. The study highlights interventions that can improve equitable access and the quality of care for newly arrived or resettled families in the county.
Co-creating HPV Vaccination Messages for Rural Washington: Application of a Boot Camp Translation Approach.
Using an adapted Boot Camp Translation process with English- and Spanish-speaking parents in rural Washington, researchers co-developed culturally tailored HPV vaccination messages and materials. The co-created approach increased vaccination intentions (notably among Spanish speakers) and identified preferred dissemination channels such as mailers, texts, live calls, clinic materials, and an educational website.
Why it matters for San Benito County Public Health Services
San Benito County Public Health Services can apply this community-engaged messaging model to improve vaccine outreach in rural and Hispanic/Latino communities served by the county, aligning with its priorities on prevention and equitable service delivery. The practical channels and co-creation method offer a scalable framework for local partnerships to increase uptake and reduce disparities in adolescent vaccination.
Carrying Firearms and Suicide Risk Among Adolescents.
Analysis of 2023 YRBS data from 23,232 high school students found that adolescents who reported carrying firearms had higher odds of a past‑year suicide attempt (adjusted OR 3.48). Stronger state firearm laws were associated with modestly lower odds of suicide attempts, and the prevalence of firearm carrying was disproportionately high among some racial and ethnic groups.
Why it matters for San Benito County Public Health Services
Preventing injury and suicide is a county priority; these results underscore the importance of adolescent-focused prevention strategies, safe storage education, school and clinical screening, and equity‑focused interventions for groups with higher carrying prevalence. Given San Benito County Public Health Services’ role in prevention and policy leadership, the study can inform local prevention planning, cross-sector partnerships (schools, behavioral health, law enforcement), and monitoring of youth risk behaviors with an equity lens.
Across these studies, common themes are the importance of screening and outreach designed to reach marginalized populations, community co‑design of messages and services, and multilevel prevention strategies that combine service delivery, trusted partnerships, and policy levers to reduce disparities. These findings support San Benito County Public Health Services’ priorities to assess community needs, assure quality access, and advance equity through partnership and informed policy action.
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