A record number of 653,104 people experienced homelessness in the U.S. in 2023, a 12 percent increase over 2022. 111,620 children were without homes in America last year. Every ethnic group endured an increase in homelessness last year. However, the Asian community experienced the most significant percentage increase (64 percent), while Hispanics/Latinos saw the most significant surge in raw numbers (an additional 39,106 people). Homelessness increased in 41 states between 2022 and 2023, with New Hampshire, New Mexico, and New York having the highest percentage increases.New York, Vermont, and Oregon had the highest per-capita rates of homelessness in 2023. More…
Author: Disparity Matters
A new study has found that Black Americans, who have disproportionately high rates of obesity, were significantly underrepresented in clinical trials for the popular weight loss drug Ozempic. The research, led by Dr. Kimberly Johnson at the University of Minnesota, analyzed participant data from 10 major Ozempic trials. Despite making up 13.6% of the U.S. population and having obesity rates nearing 50%, Black individuals comprised only 6.2% of trial participants on average. In contrast, white participants were overrepresented, making up 78.4% of trial subjects but only 59.3% of the population. “This lack of diversity in clinical trials means we don’t…
A study by the American Heart Association has revealed that by 2050 cardiovascular disease (CVD) could affect at least 6 in 10 adults in the United States. The projections are even more staggering for Latinos as the study found that they hold the biggest rise in the total number of people with the disease. Latino children are also projected to have the highest obesity rates, along with the greatest projected growth in obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. As Dr. Karen E. Joynt Maddox, chair of the writing committee, put it: “we found larger increases in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and…
Hundreds of major retail pharmacies across the United States have shuttered in recent years, leaving residents without reliable access to prescription medications and essential public health services. According to an analysis by The Associated Press (AP), neighborhoods predominantly inhabited by Latino and Black residents suffer from a lack of pharmacies per capita compared to predominantly white areas. Dima Qato, PharmD, MPH, PhD, a professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Southern California, attributes these closures to insufficient investment in pharmacy development and a lack of incentives to remain open in certain neighborhoods. The burden falls on the remaining pharmacies…
Donating $9.5M to Expand Washington DC’s healthcare career training for high school students
In a concerning trend, profitable Los Angeles hospitals are increasingly closing labor and delivery units, disproportionately impacting low-income and minority communities. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, serving a predominantly Black and Latino population, is the latest to face potential closure of its maternity ward due to financial strain. The hospital, which delivered over 1,000 babies last year, is seeking $25 million from the state to maintain operations. CEO Dr. Elaine Batchlor emphasized the critical role the hospital plays, stating, “We’re serving a community that is 90% people of color. We’re serving a community that is facing huge health disparities.” Across Los…
A new study has found significant disparities in obesity rates among children and adolescents of different races and ethnicities in the United States. The research, conducted by Drs. Anurag Mehta and Sanjay Mehta using data from the National Center for Health Statistics, revealed that obesity prevalence was highest in Hispanic youth at 25.8%, followed by non-Hispanic Black youth at 24.2%. In contrast, rates were lower among non-Hispanic White (16.6%) and non-Hispanic Asian (11.0%) children and teens. The study, which examined obesity trends from 1999-2000 to 2017-2018, also found that overall obesity prevalence increased from 13.9% to 19.3% during this period.…
Black children and teens in the United States are significantly more likely to die from drowning compared to their White peers, according to a recent study. The research, led by Dr. Tiffany Quash from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, analyzed drowning death data from 1999 to 2019. The study revealed that the drowning death rate for Black children aged 5-19 was 5.5 times higher than for White children in the same age group. Disparities were most pronounced in swimming pools, with Black children 7.6 times more likely to drown in pools compared to White children. Dr. Quash attributes these…
The 5-Cog tool, a brief cognitive evaluation, significantly enhances dementia care for older Black and Hispanic individuals in primary care settings, according to a new study. The research, led by Dr. Erica Pugh from the University of California, San Francisco, aimed to address the disparities in dementia diagnosis and treatment among underrepresented populations. The randomized clinical trial enrolled 1,201 participants across diverse community health centers in the United States. Researchers discovered that patients assessed with the 5-Cog tool were more likely to receive dementia-related interventions, such as specialist referrals and imaging tests, compared to the control group. Dementia, a global…
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the federal government has been underfunding Native American tribes that manage their own healthcare programs for the past 30 years. The court determined that federal law mandates the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to cover the overhead costs incurred by tribes when utilizing funds from Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers. The ruling, which affirms decisions by the 9th and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, is a significant victory for the San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona and the Northern Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming, both of which had…