Black Americans face the highest death rates from air pollution compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine. Researchers found that over half the difference in overall death rates between Black and white Americans was attributable to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) from 2000 to 2011. This disparity decreased only slightly by 2015. “Our findings underscore the need for targeted air quality interventions to address environmental health disparities,” the study authors wrote. The team analyzed national data on air pollution levels, population demographics, and mortality rates from 1990 to…
Author: Disparity Matters
Walgreens’ plan to close a “significant portion” of its 8,600 stores could exacerbate pharmacy shortages in underprivileged communities, potentially worsening health disparities for poor patients and communities of color. The retail giant’s retrenchment from primary care, including scaling back its stake in VillageMD and closing clinics nationwide, has sparked concerns about access to healthcare in low-income neighborhoods. During a recent earnings call, Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth acknowledged the company is often “the last one standing” in many areas. The closures, which follow previous rounds of store shutdowns, have prompted protests and inquiries from Massachusetts lawmakers concerned about the impact on vulnerable…
Each year, 12 million American adults are misdiagnosed, and the consequences can be devastating. A recent report highlights that women and racial minorities are 20% to 30% more likely to receive incorrect or delayed diagnoses, often resulting in serious harm or death.Misdiagnosis rates vary by condition—just 1.5% for heart attacks, but a staggering 17.5% for strokes and 22.5% for lung cancers. These errors are especially dangerous when time-sensitive treatment is critical. One study found that nearly one in four hospital patients who died or were transferred to intensive care had experienced a diagnostic error.For minority patients, the problem goes deeper…
A recent study from the federal VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, co-authored with colleagues from Penn LDI, reveals racial and ethnic disparities in Veterans’ experiences with VA-funded community care. This type of care, funded by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) but delivered outside of the VA health system by non-VA providers, has seen its spending more than double from approximately $8 billion in 2014 to over $18 billion in 2021. The study used national VA survey data from over 230,000 Veterans who used VA-funded community care from 2016 to 2021. The survey assessed Veterans’ experiences with care…
A new report on men’s health in North Carolina reveals significant racial disparities, with Black and Native American men facing higher risks for several diseases. The inaugural “North Carolina Men’s Health Report Card,” released by the UNC Men’s Health Program and Carolina Demography, provides a comprehensive overview of health issues affecting men statewide. The report highlights that Black men are 1.7 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 2.3 times more likely to die from it compared to white men. Native American men face similar disparities. “This report gives us a sense of the scope of health issues affecting…
A recent study published in MedPage Today highlights significant racial and ethnic disparities in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States. The research found that only one in four adults needing OUD treatment received medications, with Black and Latino adults being less likely to receive any treatment compared to their white counterparts.  This disparity is alarming given the rising rates of opioid overdose deaths, which have disproportionately affected minority communities. The study analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, revealing that Black adults had 20% lower odds of receiving medication for OUD, while Latino…
Twenty percent of Hispanic Kansans lack health insurance, more than three times the rate of white residents, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Kansas Health Institute (KHI). The annual review of health insurance coverage in Kansas found that 20.1% of Hispanics were uninsured in 2022, compared to 12.7% of Black residents and 6.2% of white residents. While uninsured rates have declined overall since the introduction of the Affordable Care Act in 2014, significant racial disparities persist. “Hispanics are more likely to be uninsured,” said Kaci Cink (above), a KHI analyst. “The disparities are a little bit smaller than…
American Indian and Alaska Native communities face the highest prevalence of diabetes in the United States, with devastating effects on health and quality of life. One in six adults has been diagnosed with the disease, and in some communities, prevalence rates soar to 60 percent. According to the Indian Health Service, adults in these populations are 2.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.The impact extends across generations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict that one in two children born in 2000 in these communities will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Diabetes…
A recent study by Dr. Sylvia Peña (above), assistant professor of nursing at Marquette University, sheds light on a critical health disparity affecting Hispanic women: the low screening rates for cervical cancer. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Hispanic women are 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 30 percent more likely to die from it than non-Hispanic white women. Dr. Peña’s research focused on understanding why Hispanic women are less likely to undergo cervical cancer screening, despite the availability of effective screening tests. Her study involved surveying 150 Hispanic women in…
Black Americans face significantly higher rates of lupus and worse outcomes compared to other racial groups, according to data from the Lupus Foundation of America. The chronic autoimmune disease affects 34-51% of African Americans, compared to just 13-23% of white patients. Health experts point to a range of factors contributing to this disparity, including genetics, socioeconomic issues, and inequities in healthcare access and quality. Black and Hispanic women with lupus tend to develop the disease at younger ages and experience more severe symptoms. “I wasn’t diagnosed with lupus until I was 29, literally months from my 30th birthday,” said Jawanna Perine, who…