Health Disparities

Health Disparities Defined

Health disparities are differences in health outcomes linked to social, economic, and environmental disadvantages (ODPHP, n.d.). For example, Black adults have higher risk factors for cardiovascular disease and are more than twice as likely to die from it compared to White adults (Javed et al., 2022). The CDC defines health disparities as preventable differences in disease, injury, or violence experienced by socially disadvantaged groups (CDC, 2022). Health disparities can lead to higher disease prevalence, increased risk of premature death, and poorer health outcomes (NIMHD, 2023).

Race and Ethnicity Disparities

Racial and ethnic minorities often face health disparities due to systemic racism and discrimination. For instance, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women (CDC, 2023). Addressing these disparities involves recognizing and mitigating the effects of systemic racism and improving access to health care for minority populations (Braveman et al., 2022).

Gender Disparities

Gender disparities in health outcomes are influenced by both biological and social factors. Women and LGBTQIA+ individuals often face barriers to health care access and experience poorer health outcomes. For example, women are more likely to report delays in accessing health care and higher rates of violence compared to men (WHO, 2023). Gender norms and stereotypes can also negatively impact health behaviors and access to care (OHCHR, 2023).

Geographical Disparities

Geographical location significantly affects health outcomes. Rural areas often face higher rates of poverty, limited access to health care, and higher prevalence of chronic diseases compared to urban areas (RHIH, 2023). Health disparities can also vary by state and even by zip code, influenced by factors such as health policy, infrastructure, and socioeconomic status (AHRQ, 2022).

This chapter is a summary of Chapter 9 of Ochs, J., Roper, S. L., & Schwartz, S. M. (2024). Population Health for Nurses. OpenStax. Microsoft Copilot was used in support of this effort. Note: Microsoft Copilot uses commercial data protection to ensure the security and privacy of user data. Prompts and responses are not saved, and data is not used to train the underlying large language model.

References:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). (2022). National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.

Braveman, P., Arkin, E., Orleans, T., Proctor, D., & Plough, A. (2022). What is health equity? And what difference does a definition make? Princeton, NJ: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). Health disparities.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023c). Pregnancy-related deaths.

Javed, Z., Khan, M. S., & Malik, J. A. (2022). Cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes in Black adults.

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD). (2023). Health disparities.

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP). (n.d.). Health disparities.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). (2023). Gender norms and health.

Rural Health Information Hub (RHIH). (2023). Factors affecting health outcomes in rural populations.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). Gender norms and health.