Ninez Ponce, a professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, recently shared insights about her role in healthcare representation and the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), which she leads. Elected to the National Academy of Medicine in October, Ponce considers this recognition a thrilling validation of her contributions to public health.
Ponce has been involved with CHIS since its inception in 1999. As the largest population health survey in the U.S., it aims to reflect California’s diverse communities. Initially, she pushed to include representation for Asian American populations and advocated for conducting the survey in multiple languages. The survey now includes languages like Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese, making it more accessible to a wider audience.
“Surveillance in public health must evolve with the population,” Ponce explains. After observing a spike in hate incidents against Asian Americans during COVID-19, she collaborated with UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center to update the survey to include questions about these experiences.
Ponce emphasizes the importance of equity in health. “If we only prioritize those who can afford care, we hinder overall societal progress,” she notes. Health policies must be tailored to meet the various needs of different communities, particularly as there are over 90 Asian languages.
Currently, Ponce is scaling CHIS findings to other states while ensuring data collection respects community perspectives. Alongside this, she’s involved in initiatives targeting Latino youth health and transparency in communication sources for Latino communities.
Ponce believes students at UCLA should care about this work. “It’s all about democratizing knowledge and protecting information rights for our diverse population,” she concludes.
For further insights, check out the California Health Interview Survey here.
