Racial and ethnic minorities and lower income individuals continue to experience worse health outcomes and less access to health care services in the United States, according to a Jan. 13 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report found persistent health disparities in a range of areas including infant mortality, coronary heart disease, potentially preventable hospitalizations, and new HIV infections.
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Dr. Thomas R. Frieden
The report, "CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities in the United States–2011," is the first in a series of reports that will catalogue disparities in certain social and health indicators (MMWR 2011, Jan 14;60(suppl.):[1-116]). It compiles the most recent national data on disparities in mortality, morbidity, behavioral risk factors, health care access, and preventive health services.
"This first of its kind analysis and reporting of recent trends is designed to spur action and accountability at the federal, tribal, state, and local levels to achieve health equity in this country," Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, CDC Director, said in a statement.
Key among the findings:
• Racial and ethnic minorities continue to experience higher rates of infant deaths. In 2006, the highest infant mortality rate was among non-Hispanic black women at 13.35/1,000 live births, compared with the national average of 6.68 and a rate of 5.58 among non-Hispanic white women. Rates were higher for American Indian/Alaska Native women (8.28) and Puerto Rican women (8.01) than among white women.
• Death from coronary heart disease was highest among blacks, compared with whites, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and American Indian/Alaska Natives. In 2006, the age-adjusted mortality rate for blacks was 161.6/100,000 population, vs. 134.2 among whites. Rates were lower among the other racial groups. Similarly, the age-adjusted mortality rate for stroke was 32.3% higher for blacks than for whites (61.6 vs. 41.7). Hispanics had lower death rates for both coronary heart disease and stroke than did non-Hispanics.
• From 2004 through 2007, the rate of hospitalizations that potentially could have been prevented by better primary care was higher among non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics than among non-Hispanic whites. Americans with lower incomes also had more potentially preventable hospitalizations, according to the report.
• In 2008, blacks had the highest estimated rate of HIV diagnoses at 73.7/100,000 population, compared with 8.2 among whites. The next highest rate of diagnoses was among Hispanic/Latino individuals at 25/100,000.
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The new CDC report is intended to be a benchmark to help officials measure future trends.