Health Equity:
Quick Facts about Disparities
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
The term "health disparities" is an umbrella term that includes disparities in health and disparities in health care. Although "disparities in health" and "disparities in health care" are often used interchangeably, they are two different concepts:
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Disparities in health:
Disparities in health refer to differences between two or more population groups in health outcomes and in the prevalence, incidence, or burden of disease, disability, injury, or death. (For specific research findings that document racial and ethnic disparities in health, see the Disparities in Health Quick Facts box to the right.)
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Disparities in health care:
Disparities in health care refer to the differences between two or more population groups in health care access, coverage, and quality of care, including differences in preventive, diagnostic, and treatment services. (For more findings that document racial and ethnic disparities in health care, see the Disparities in Health Care Quick Fact box below.)
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Distinguishing between the two concepts is important because different factors contribute to each. However, these factors are interrelated. For example, personal behavior and decisions about health, environmental factors, and genetics are factors that are known to contribute to disparities in health. Disparities in health care also contribute to disparities in health. Likewise, studies have found that factors such as discrimination, bias, language barriers, and preferences about health care practices contribute to disparities in health care. However, no single factor contributes more to disparities in health and health care than access to health care.
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Disparities in Access:
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When individuals have reliable, consistent access to health care, they have greater access to health monitoring and are more likely to receive screenings, timely diagnoses, and appropriate treatment of chronic diseases and conditions. However, racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately more likely than whites to be underinsured or to lack health insurance coverage altogether. For example, although racial and ethnic minorities constitute one third of the total U.S. population, they comprise more than one half (52 percent) of the uninsured population. In fact, in 2003, 23 million of the 45 million uninsured were racial and ethnic minority Americans.
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Diversity in the United States
According to the latest estimates, roughly one in every three people in the United States belongs to a racial and ethnic minority group. Latinos (the largest racial and ethnic minority group) and African Americans together account for 25 percent of the total U.S. population. In the next 50 years, the proportions of both Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and Latinos are expected to double.
Racial and ethnic minority communities are extremely diverse, embrace distinct cultural traditions, and speak many different languages. Despite this diversity, there are other characteristics that many racial and ethnic minorities share that directly affect their access to quality health care. For example:
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- Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to have family incomes that are less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($33,200 per year for a family of three in 2006). Consequently, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely than whites to be enrolled in Medicaid and to be uninsured.
- On average, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely than whites to have higher rates of illness and premature death, to have lower rates of access to affordable, quality health care, and to suffer worse health outcomes.
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As the United States population continues to become more diverse, and if the numbers of uninsured and underinsured individuals continue to rise, racial and ethnic health disparities will remain a challenging public health and health policy issue that should be addressed by health care advocacy groups and by all levels of government.
Dare to Get Involved: How to Take Action
What can you do to help raise awareness about minority health policy issues, such as health disparities and uninsurance? Click here to find out!
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