Original Investigation

Preferences for Shared Language for Health Equity Across the Political Spectrum

JAMA Network Open 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.0277

March 06, 2026 at 11:00 AM EST

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Are differences in language and framing associated with public receptiveness to health equity concepts across political ideology groups?In this survey study including 1000 US adults, a higher proportion of respondents endorsed personal values alignment with than definitions. The terms and elicited divergent reactions, whereas , , , and were broadly well received; across all groups, collectivist, affirming, action-oriented statement framings (eg, , , , ) were preferred.These findings suggest that strategic use of language emphasizing shared values and collective action may increase public understanding and receptiveness to health equity initiatives.

Corresponding Author: Samantha X. Y. Wang, MD, MHS, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94043 (wangxy@stanford.edu).

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