Open AccessThe “Long Tail” and Public Health: New Thinking for Addressing Health Disparities
Author(s) -
Matthew W. Kreuter,
Peter Hovmand,
Debbie J. Pfeiffer,
Maggie Fairchild,
Suchitra Rath,
Balaji Golla,
Christopher Casey
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2014.302039
Subject(s) - health equity , psychological intervention , public health , agency (philosophy) , population , public health interventions , environmental health , medicine , gerontology , business , sociology , nursing , social science
The prevailing approach to improving population health focuses on shifting population means through a few targeted and universal interventions. The success of this approach for eliminating health disparities depends on an assumption about the distribution of demand for such interventions. We explored whether long tail thinking from business might yield greater progress in eliminating disparities. We examined 2011 to 2013 data from 513 state and local health agency representatives in 47 states who used an online system to create 4351 small media and client reminder products promoting colorectal cancer screening. Products in the long tail were more likely to target minority groups with higher rates of colorectal cancer and lower rates of screening than Whites. Long tail thinking could help improve the public's health and eliminate disparities.