Sociodemographic Data Collection Training
The following training module is intended to support staff at Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) sites to learn how to collect sociodemographic data from youth across the province. This section aims to provide context of health equity within YWHO, the value and rationale of collecting sociodemographic data, and guidance on how to respond to youth questions and concerns about the collection of this data.
Health Equity within YWHO
Within the YWHO model, the overarching goal is to improve access and service standards for young people through an integrated approach to youth mental health and substance use services. YWHO’s values aim to ensure access, equity, and inclusion for diverse youth.
When thinking about youth and young adults, we want to dig deeper and understand the needs, barriers and health outcomes of diverse communities. Programs and services that take into account the diversity of their participants increase client satisfaction, engagement in treatment, and quality of care and health outcomes.
Video:
The YWHO model has 13 components, 4 of these core components are equity-focused.
The ‘Equity data use” core component, includes collecting and using sociodemographic data as an action that can support the work in all of these core components as well as for YWHO’s overall goal.
The collection of sociodemographic data can help us to:
- Improve service provision and tailor care to the diverse youth being served;
- Identify and address inequities in our services, such as access and quality of care; and
- Understand which population groups are being overserved, underserved, or excluded.
Having a health equity approach requires us to think about the full spectrum of youth populations with the highest barriers, who are underrepresented and underserved, and in doing so, we have to consider intersectionality – that many people experience multiple forms of disadvantage, and that these experiences compound one another.
Data Collection as a Means to An End
Collecting data is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
When socio-demographic data is collected, we can identify disparities in access, quality of care, experiences and outcomes for different sub-populations. The task is then to use this information in a meaningful way.
We use sociodemographic data to identify trends to guide actions to improve our services for all youth. These actions must be informed by evidence (from research, lived experience, professional experience, and cultural & traditional knowledge), and involve the people who are affected (“Nothing about us without us”) in decision-making.
Each site has access to supports from YWHO’s Backbone team as well as local and provincial youth advisories to support using sociodemographic data to inform and implement meaningful action.
Key Takeaways:
- The collection of sociodemographic data must come with a commitment to take action.
- Responding to data with action requires adequate resourcing to implement changes.
- Involving diverse and intersectional youth perspectives in the interpretation of the data and in decision making for planning and implementing action is key. (Nothing about us without us)”
Sociodemographic Data Collection Training:
- What is Health Equity and Why Health Equity?
- Collection of Sociodemographic Data in YWHO
- The Questions - What they mean, when, and why we collect them?
- Sociodemographic Resources
If you have questions after visiting this module, please contact your regional Equity Coach and/or Evaluator to support with coaching supports.
