What are Health Disparities?
Health disparities are determined and measured by three health statistics:
- Incidence – the number of new cases of a disease
- Mortality – the number of deaths from that disease
- Survival rates – the length of survival following diagnosis of the disease
Health disparities occur when one group of people has a higher incidence or mortality rate than another, or when survival rates are lower for one group than another.
Low-wealth populations and ethnic/racial minority groups experience worse health outcomes across a broad spectrum of illnesses, injuries and treatments. When elements of racism, poverty and problematic community environments combine, greater overall threats to health develop.
Disparities, or inequalities, occur when members of certain population groups don’t enjoy the same health status as other groups. Disparities are most often identified along racial and ethnic lines: research shows that African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asian-Americans, Alaska natives and whites have different incidence, mortality and survival rates. But disparities also extend beyond race and ethnicity. For example, cancer health disparities can involve biological, environmental and behavioral factors, as well as differences in income and education.
What causes Health Disparities?
There is debate about what causes health disparities between different ethnic and racial groups. However, it’s generally accepted that disparities can result from three main areas:
- Personal, socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of different ethnic and racial groups
- Barriers that certain racial and ethnic groups encounter when trying to access services from the health care system
- Quality of the health care services different ethnic and racial groups receive
The links in this section will take you to detailed information about the health disparities experienced by African-American, American Indian and Latino communities in North Carolina.