This page features news, articles and discussions related to health disparities.
Access to Health Coverage for Pacific Islanders in the United States
The report profiles the diverse population of Pacific Islanders that reside in the United
States and their eligibility for various health programs offered at the federal, state,
and local levels. Due to eligibility restrictions, some Pacific Islander groups residing
in the United States experience challenges in accessing the health care they need.
A Closer Look at African American Men and High Blood Pressure Control: A Review of Psychosocial Factors and Systems-Level Interventions
This book, created by the CDC's Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, summarizes lessons learned, considerations, and recommendations to facilitate positive changes in high blood pressure interventions targeting African American men.
ACP Releases Position Paper on Solutions to Healthcare Disparities
In a position paper released recently, the American College of Physicians (ACP) notes that
since it explored the issue in a similar paper in 2003, the nation has made some progress
toward eliminating healthcare disparities, but much remains to be done. Better
communication is one of the keys for closing the disparity gap in a nation where almost
one quarter of the population speaks a language at home other than English, according to
the ACP.
Adult Substance Use in Arizona 2010
A new St. Luke's Health Initiative report includes some findings using data from the 2010 Arizona Health Survey (AHS) that may seem contrary to popular notions of who is using and possibly abusing alcohol, prescription drugs and illicit drugs. According to the report, people with higher incomes were more likely to begin drinking before age 21 than those in lower income categories; a higher percentage of Whites, Hispanics/Latinos and African Americans reported ever consuming alcohol compared to Native Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders; the highest rate of current marijuana use was among those with incomes in the $30,000-$49,999 range; of those who misused any prescription drug, the highest rate was among 60-69 year olds; and seventeen percent of adults indicated psychological distress in the past 30 days – a rate much higher than 4.8 percent reported nationally in 2008.
Adults: Mental Health Issues and Disparities in Arizona
The report uses the Arizona Health Survey data to provide a much-needed look at the mental
health of adults living in Arizona.
Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient- and Family-
Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals
The Roadmap for Hospitals includes example practices, information on laws and regulations,
and links to supplemental information, model policies and educational tools.
A Federal Hispanic/Latino Profile
The U.S. Office of Minority Health has produced a "Hispanic/Latino" profile that details
Latinos' population, main health issues and barriers to care.
AHRQ Research and Other Activities Relevant to American Indians and Alaska Natives
This report brief provides a summary, arranged by topic, of ongoing and recently completed
AHRQ activities that specifically address the health and disparities of the AI/AN people.
American Indian Elder Health: Critical Information for Researchers and Policymakers
This fact sheet provides a quick summary of key economic, demographic and health trends
facing AIAN elders, including cancer screening rates, health behaviors, falls as well as
access to care, among other issues.
America's Tomorrow: A Profile of Latino Youth
The report examines the status of U.S. Latino youths across a variety of factors. Latino
youth compose nearly 20% of all youth in the country and experience high levels of
poverty, high dropout rates, low graduation rates, high unemployment rates and low rates
of health insurance.
Barely Hanging On: Middle-Class and Uninsured
This report is a comprehensive state-by-state analysis on trends in health insurance
coverage, premiums and offer rates.
Border Lives: Health Status in the U.S. – Mexico Border Region
This report provides an overview of key health indicators affecting U.S. residents living
in the U.S. - Mexico border region.
Cancer Trends Progress Report
It summarizes our nation's progress against cancer in relation to the Healthy People 2010
targets developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report features
include quick tutorial to ease navigation and downloading of materials within the report;
updated "Trends-at-a-Glance" snapshot; links to NCI's State Cancer Profiles' state- and
county-level data; data, graphs and slides; links to Healthy People 2010 materials; links
to colorectal cancer mortality projections; custom print report features; open text search
capability; and fully accessible to persons with disabilities.
Caring for Vulnerable Populations
This publication provides background on dual eligible, as well as state and national policy initiatives designed to change payment structures to lead to more coordinated care; twelve best practice elements to be included within care programs for vulnerable populations; sample metrics to monitor progress in care coordination; and examples of best practices from across the hospital field.
CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report — United States, 2011
To shed more light on the ills of America's poor — and occasionally its rich — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released its first report, detailing racial disparities in a broad array of health problems. While some are well known, others have had little attention; there were also a few surprises. Data show that white people in the United States die of drug overdoses more often than other ethnic groups. Black people are hit proportionately harder by AIDS, strokes and heart disease. And American Indians are more likely to die in car crashes.
Communicating More for Less: Using Translation and Interpretation Technology to Serve Limited English Proficient Individuals
The report provides an overview of translation and interpretation technologies in use and available. The analysis is based on interviews with state and local government employees and language access service managers experienced in utilizing these technologies. Because some service providers are uncertain about the functionality and value of these technologies or lack the time necessary to research purposes, costs and benefits, this work provides a roadmap that assists language access professionals in seeking out products to meet their unique needs.
Community Health Centers: Opportunities and Challenges of Health Reform
The brief describes the provisions of the new health reform law that affect community
health centers, including increased funding designed to expand the number of health
centers, health insurance expansions that will significantly reduce the number of health
center patients without insurance, and strategies aimed at increasing the primary care
workforce. The brief also discusses some of the opportunities and challenges for the
health centers, such as the task of recruiting and retaining qualified health
professionals, the need to establish networks and referral arrangements and the renewed
focus on prevention and public health that has long been at the core of health centers'
work.
Community Health Data Initiative
The Department of Health and Human Services has a new Web page with a listing of relevant
datasets and descriptive information about each.
Community Need Index™: A Breakthrough Approach to Public Health Planning
A foundational tool for public health planning, you can now draw your community's Community Need Index (CNI) map and show where community resources are located.
Diet, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behaviors as Risk Factors for Childhood Obesity: An Urban and Rural Comparison
According to the report, in 1999-2006, 30.9% of United States children aged 2-19 years old were overweight and 15.9% of them were obese. A greater proportion of rural children were overweight than those living in urban areas. Similarly, the overall prevalence of obesity was higher among rural than urban children.
Diversity in the Physician Workforce: Facts and Figures 2010
The report offers detailed statistical information on the demographics and practice patterns of the physician workforce that graduated from U.S. MD-granting medical schools between 1978 and 2008. In addition, selected data are included from the U.S. Census Bureau and statehealthfacts.org.
The Economic Burden of Health Inequalities in the United States
This study provides important insight into how much of a financial burden racial
disparities are putting on our health care system and society at large. The researchers
examined the direct costs associated with the provision of care to a sicker and more
disadvantaged population, as well as the indirect costs of health inequities such as lost
productivity, lost wages, absenteeism, family leave and premature death. The authors indicated that eliminating health disparities for minorities would have reduced direct medical care expenditures by $229.4 billion and indirect costs associated with illness and premature death by more than one trillion dollars between 2003 and 2006.
Economic Indicator Search Tool
The Census Bureau has introduced a new, user-friendly Internet tool that takes all the guesswork out of finding, downloading and using data from economic indicators. For the first time, users can access data from multiple indicators in one place and all in the same format.
Facts & Stats: Domestic Violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
Homes
The report presents critical data on several domestic violence related topics that can
help form talking points to raise awareness and counter denial, to make the case for
socio-culturally effective prevention and intervention, and to influence future research
and public policy. 41-61% of Asian women experience physical and/or sexual violence by
intimates during their lifetime, according to a compilation of community-based studies.
Federal Nutrition Education Resources
This document provides a comprehensive compilation, with active links, of currently
available federally published nutrition education resources.
Federal Push To Increase Health Literacy
A January 18 Web First article published by Health Affairs focuses on the health literacy dimensions of three major federal initiatives from 2010: the Affordable Care Act, the Department of Health and Human Services' National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, and the Plain Writing Act of 2010.
Finding Answers: Disparities Research for Change—An Update
It suggests promising strategies for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in care for depression, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Health Behaviors of Adults: United States, 2005-2007
This report presents selected prevalence estimates of alcohol use, cigarette smoking,
leisure-time physical activity, body weight status and sleep habits among U.S. adults from
the 2005-2007 National Health Interview Survey. Estimates are shown by age, race, Hispanic
or Latino origin and race, education, poverty status, marital status and geographic region
for all adults aged 18 years and over and for men and women separately.
Health Characteristics of the American Indian or Alaska Native Adult Population:
United States, 2004 - 2008
This report compares national estimates for selected health status indicators, health
behaviors, health care utilization, health conditions, immunizations and human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing status for American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN)
adults with those for white, black, Asian and Hispanic adults aged 18 years and over.
The Health Communicator's Social Media Toolkit
This toolkit by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prepares the reader to get started in social media by providing information for developing governance for social media, determining which channels will best meet communication objectives, and helping to create a social media strategy.
Health Disparities: A Rural – Urban Chartbook
The Chartbook seeks to expand the work of the National Healthcare Disparities Reports and expands upon prior work by examining potential disparities among rural populations in health, health behaviors, preventive services and diabetes care.
Health Disparities and the U.S.-México Border: Challenges and Opportunities
This white paper addresses the particular health challenges in the border region and identifies how the region can serve as a source for innovative models that can bring together multiple levels of government and leaders across geographic and jurisdictional borders.
Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) 2010
It reports the results of an annual survey on healthcare facility policies on issues of
concern to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community including patient
non-discrimination and visitation policies, cultural competency training and employment
benefits.
Health Equity and Prevention Primer
Health inequities are more than disparities or differences in health and safety outcomes.
Inequity describes unfairness and the systematic nature of disparities. The Health Equity
and Prevention Primer (HEPP) serves as a web-based training series for public health
practitioners and advocates interested in policy advocacy, community change, and multi-
sector engagement to achieve health equity. The Primer helps practitioners integrate a
health equity lens into their initiatives in pursuit of overall health and safety.
Health Insurance in Nonstandard Jobs and Small Firms: Differences for Parents by Race
and Ethnicity
This brief provides new insights about health insurance coverage gaps among racial and
ethnic minority groups, focusing on parents with employment in small firms or nonstandard
employment.
Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET) Disparities Toolkit
The Toolkit is a Web-based tool to help hospitals, health systems, community health
centers, medical group practices, health plans and other users understand the importance
of collecting accurate data on race, ethnicity and primary language of persons with
limited English proficiency and/or who are deaf or hard of hearing. By using this Toolkit,
health care organizations can assess their organizational capacity to collect this
information and implement a systematic framework designed specifically for obtaining race,
ethnicity and primary language data directly from patients/enrollees or their caregivers
in an efficient, effective, and respectful manner.
Healthy Border 2010/2020 Strategic Framework
This report describes the framework and timeline in completing steps toward the closeout of Healthy Border 2010 and the rollout of the proposed Healthy Border 2020.
Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: Promising Strategies to Improve Access to Fresh,
Healthy Food and Transform Communities
The report describes how low-income communities of color and low-income rural areas are
most affected by limited access to healthy food and what can be done to improve this
disparity.
HHS Launches Leading Health Indicators 2012 Series
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is addressing challenges associated with access to primary health services in the first installment of its monthly series, Who's Leading the Leading Health Indicators? Leading Health Indicators (LHIs), part of the Healthy People 2020 initiative, are critical health issues that, if addressed appropriately, can help reduce the leading causes of preventable deaths and illnesses. Ensuring that all Americans have access to high quality, affordable, health care is central to the new health care reform law.
The High Costs of Language Barriers in Medical Malpractice
The report studies the problems that arise when clinicians believe they have the needed language skills but actually are not fluent in the language. The report mentions specific cases where the clinician's false sense of language proficiency led to medical errors and harm.
How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease
The Surgeon General's report describes specific pathways by which tobacco smoke damages the human body and leads to disease and death. The report finds that cellular damage and tissue inflammation from tobacco smoke are immediate, and that repeated exposure weakens the body's ability to heal the damage. The evidence in this report shows how smoking causes cardiovascular disease and increases risks for heart attack, stroke, and aortic aneurysm.
Impact Arizona: Healthcare Reform Hits Arizona
This report, developed by St. Luke's Health Initiatives, is an Arizona-specific analysis of federal healthcare reform.
Language, Culture, and Immigration Relief Options
This brief analyzes the need for the child welfare system to develop and implement
policies that take into account the unique needs of immigrant children and families.
Recommendations are made to improve language accessible and culturally competent services
throughout the system as well as to help educate child welfare staff on possible
immigration relief.
Mapping America: Every City, Every Block
The New York Times and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey have teamed up to create interactive maps showing American demographics by census tract. In urban areas, census tracts are about the size of neighborhoods. The demographic information includes such attributes as race/ethnicity, income, education, home value and rent prices. The maps also show how some of these characteristics have changed over time. Because these figures are based on samples, they are subject to a margin of error, particularly in places with a low population, and are best regarded as estimates.
Measuring the Gaps: Collecting Data to Drive Improvements in Health Care Disparities
This paper highlights the importance of health care provider involvement in collecting data on racial and ethnic health care disparities. It also recommends collecting larger data sets based on race and ethnicity, which can be used to design targeted programs to provide patient-centered care.
Medical Students' Socioeconomic Background and Their Completion of the First Two Years of Medical School
The report finds that, although the medical school attrition rate is only approximately three percent, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, even those with higher MCAT scores, are more likely to withdraw or be dismissed in the first two years of medical school. The authors of the report, from the Association of American Medical Colleges, note that this finding can have negative implications on medical schools' (and medicine's) efforts to improve diversity, since only 15 percent of medical students are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Meeting the Health Equity Challenge: State Case Studies
The report focuses on how state public health departments have organized to promote health
equity and the tools and programs they are harnessing in this effort.
Migration and Health: Mexican Immigrant Women in the U.S.
This study aims to increase the overall understanding of health determinants, access and use of health services, and health conditions of adult Mexican born women in the U.S.
Modest and Uneven: Physician Efforts to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities
The report documents limited adoption of recommended practices for reducing racial and
ethnic disparities in health care, including interpreter services, training in minority
health and quality of care reports for minority patients.
Monitoring the Community Benefits of Critical Access Hospitals: A Review of the Data
The document examines the community benefit activities of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)
using data from the Flex Monitoring Team's (FMT) pilot test of a set of community benefit
data collection tools and performance indicators, the Internal Review Service's (IRS) 2006
Hospital Compliance Study and the 2007 FMT CAH survey.
Movilizandonos por Nuestro Futuro: Strategic Development of a Mental Health Workforce
for Latinos
This report provides consensus statements and recommendations to serve as a blueprint and
guide for improving the Latino behavioral health condition.National Healthcare Disparities Report 2009
The new report shows that Americans with no insurance are much less likely than those with
private insurance to obtain recommended care, especially preventive services. In
addition, while some racial differences in lack of insurance have narrowed in the past
decade, disparities related to ethnicity, income, and education remain large. Under
health care reform, families have guaranteed choices of quality, affordable health
insurance if they lose their jobs, switch jobs, move or become sick. The 2009 Report also
found that among the most prevailing disparity was the lack of preventive care.
National Healthcare Quality Report
The report notes that very little progress has been made on eliminating health care-
associated infections (HAIs), with rates of many HAIs increasing in the past year. Reform
will improve the quality of care for all Americans through new incentives that reward
quality over quantity of care.
National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy
The National Prevention Strategy aims to guide our nation in the most effective and achievable means for improving health and well-being. The Strategy prioritizes prevention by integrating recommendations and actions across multiple settings to improve health and save lives.
National Underinsured Resource Directory
Patient Advocate Foundation unveils the Directory to assist Americans struggling with
health insurance costs and access to care.
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health Disparities
The report provides an overview of NHPI health in the United States on a wide range of
health issues. Limited by the available data, most of the statistics presented in this
report represent the aggregated NHPIs as a whole, although the authors used disaggregated
statistics for distinct ethnic groups to the extent they were available.
Nutrition Interventions for Children with Special Health Care Needs
The report addresses the growth, nutrition and feeding of children with or at increased
risk for a broad range of chronic illnesses or conditions who require intervention beyond
basic, routine pediatric care.
Obesity and socioeconomic status in children and adolescents: United States, 2005-2008
This data brief presents the most recent national data on childhood obesity and its association with poverty income ratio (PIR) and education of household head. Results are presented by sex and race and ethnicity.
Online Resource on Health Equity Issues
The website includes issue specific resources and analyses in the areas on health reform, HIT, patient-centered care, health care disparities, demographic data (including race/ethnicity, language need, sexual orientation and gender identity/expression), language access, health workforce diversity, and LGBT health.
Promotores de Salud Initiative
An Initiative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) promotes utilization of promotores de salud as a means of strengthening outreach and education on the availability of health services and insurance coverage to underserved Hispanic/Latino communities.
Putting Women's Health Care Disparities on the Map: Examining Racial and Ethnic Disparities at the State Level
The report updates more than twenty topics on health disparities among women of different races and ethnicities and includes indicators on health status, access and utilization, social determinants, and health care payments and work force.
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Access to Care Among Children: How Does Medicaid Do in
Closing the Gaps?
The new Kaiser Family Foundation report assesses Medicaid's relative impact on racial and
ethnic disparities in access to care.
Reducing Health Disparities in Asian American and Pacific Islander Populations
On-line course
Sexually Transmitted Diseases 2007
The report presents statistics and trends for STDs among American Indians and Alaska
Natives (AI/AN) in the United States.
Situación de Tuberculosis en la Frontera México-Estados Unidos
This report describes the TB situation in the northern border of México and provides
recommendations for improving health conditions of the population.
Smoking Out a Deadly Threat – Tobacco Use in the LGBT Community
The report takes an in-depth look at the needs of the LGBT community that bears an unequal
burden of risk and disease.
State Disparities in Teenage Birth Rates in the United States
The report examines disparities in teenage birth rates by state and among the largest racial and ethnic population groups.
State Documentation of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities to Inform Strategic Action
This report conducted an environmental scan of all 50 states and the District of Columbia to identify leading states in the use of patient race/ethnicity data and eight states were identified as leaders in terms of their analysis and/or inclusion of data from state and federal sources in strategic plans and reports to address health disparities.
State of Men's Health
The website includes statistics and data to educate Americans about the disparities that exist in men's health.
States using hospital data to reduce disparities
A new report describes how many states are using hospital discharge data on patient race/ethnicity to inform their efforts to reduce health care disparities.
Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States
This report provides recommendations about various means that could be employed to reduce
dietary sodium intake to levels recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Tobacco Control in Rural America
This report takes a closer look at tobacco control efforts under way outside of
metropolitan areas, where tobacco use is higher than in urban centers. The publication
examines tobacco-related disparities facing rural areas; socioeconomic and cultural
conditions that cause these disparities in these areas; challenges to tobacco control and
prevention efforts in rural areas; and unique assets or opportunities in rural areas for
effective tobacco control interventions.
Tribal Research Regulation Toolkit
The National Congress of American Indians' Policy Research Center has developed a Research Regulation Toolkit, an online collection of easy-to-use tools and resources to support tribal leaders and their communities in regulating research. The toolkit's strategies, considerations, checklists and promising practices are intended to support tribal communities in maximizing the possible benefits from research, while minimizing its potential harms.
Uninsured Children: Who Are They and Where Do They Live?
This report uses data from the 2008 American Community Survey to provide detailed state
estimates that include: 1) The number of uninsured children and the proportion of children
who are uninsured across and within each state; 2) Uninsured rates for children with
different demographic, socioeconomic and family characteristics in each state and 3) The
composition of insured and uninsured children in each state.
USA Counties
This online update features more than 6,800 data items at the national, state and county level from a variety of federal agencies. The file covers much of the same information found in the Census Bureau's Statistical Abstract. Topics include demographics, housing, employment, construction, banking, poverty, crime and education.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Announces Plan to Reduce Health Disparities
The HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities outlines goals and actions HHS will take to reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities.
U.S. Food Environment Atlas
The Atlas assembles statistics on three broad categories of food environment factors: Food
Choices, Health and Well-Being and Community Characteristics. The Atlas currently
includes 90 indicators of the food environment.
U.S.-México Border GIS Map
The U.S.-México Border Health Commission released a high resolution U.S.-México border map that utilizes geographic information system (GIS) mapping. Available information on this map includes the following: the 100 kilometer U.S.-México border region, the U.S. and México border counties, the binational health councils, the 15 pairs of sister cities, and other relevant geographic characteristics unique to the border region. Information is separated into individual layers which allow the user the ability to visually isolate border information as needed.
U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by
Race and Ethnicity
This report contains the most current teenage pregnancy, birth and abortion statistics
available, with national estimates through 2006, and state-level estimates through 2005.
Web-Based Refugee Services Toolkit
The Center for Refugee Trauma and Resilience has designed a new Web-based Refugee Services
Toolkit to help service system providers understand the experience of refugee children and
families, identify the needs associated with their mental health, and ensure that they are
connected with the most appropriate available interventions.
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