Are people in Canada less willing to fund health programs aimed at marginalized communities?

Details

The study assessed public support for public health interventions tailored to and targeted at marginalized communities.

Researchers conducted a discrete choice experiment using a web-based survey advertised to Facebook and Instagram users living in Canada who were older than 16. Participants chose which of two hypothetical public health programs to fund. Each program was described by its purpose, expected increase in life expectancy, and target audience. Researchers used demographically weighted generalized linear mixed-effects models to identify program characteristics associated with selection.

The 3,054 participants each completed up to 8 discrete choice comparison exercises, completing 23,889 exercises in total. Programs focused on prevention were less likely to be selected than those focused on treatment. Each additional 1 year of marginal life expectancy gained was associated with a 15% increase in the odds of a program being selected.

Interventions tailored to marginalized communities were less likely to be selected than interventions aimed at the general population, and interventions targeting stigmatized health conditions were less likely to be selected than those targeting chronic health conditions. Noteworthy exceptions included greater preference for interventions that aligned with marginalized communities’ perceived needs or cultural expectations.

The researchers concluded that stigmatizing perceptions of health conditions and key populations likely influence Canadians’ preferences for public health programming. They suggested that informational campaigns highlighting disparities experienced by marginalized populations may improve support for targeted and tailored interventions.