Memoir Explores Racism’s Impact on Health Disparities
Author: Disparity Matters
Black children and adolescents in the United States are six times more likely to die from gun violence than their white peers, according to a recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The study reveals a stark racial disparity in firearm-related deaths among youth, with the gap widening since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report found that in 2022, the firearm death rate for Black youth was 12.2 per 100,000, significantly higher than any other racial or ethnic group. From 2018 to 2022, the rate of firearm deaths doubled among Black youth and increased by 73% among…
Women living in historically redlined areas face significantly higher risks of negative breast cancer outcomes, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. The research provides evidence that discriminatory housing policies from decades ago continue to impact health disparities today. Researchers examined data from over 1,700 Black and white women diagnosed with breast cancer in Georgia between 2010-2017. They found that women in historically redlined neighborhoods had 60% higher breast cancer mortality overall compared to those in non-redlined areas. For Black women specifically, living in redlined areas was associated with 62% higher odds of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, an aggressive…
A new study finds stark racial disparities in access to a key medication for treating opioid addiction, with predominantly white areas having far greater availability compared to more diverse communities. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh examined geographic access to buprenorphine, a life-saving medication for opioid use disorder, across the United States in 2018. They found that areas with more racial and ethnic diversity had significantly fewer buprenorphine prescribers and prescription fills. In urban areas that were less than 95% white, there was a 45-55% drop in buprenorphine prescribers compared to predominantly white areas. The disparity was even greater in…
A transition to electric vehicles powered by renewable energy could prevent millions of childhood asthma attacks and save hundreds of infant lives by 2050, according to a new study from the American Lung Association (ALA). The report, which builds on the ALA’s 2022 “Zeroing in on Healthy Air” study, specifically examined how children would benefit from a shift to zero-emission vehicles. Researchers found that if all new passenger vehicles sold are zero-emission by 2035 and all trucks by 2040, coupled with a transition to a clean electric grid by 2035, children would experience significant health benefits. “Air pollution harms children’s…
A new study by researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) found that expanding Medicaid coverage to include the period before and after birth significantly improved detection and treatment of mental health conditions among low-income immigrant mothers. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, highlight disparities in maternal mental health care access for this underserved population. Maria Rodriguez, M.D., M.P.H., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at OHSU School of Medicine and director of the OHSU Center for Reproductive Health Equity, emphasized that poor perinatal mental health contributes to the maternal health crisis in the U.S., with immigrants facing unique…
Dr. Uche Blackstock, a prominent advocate for health equity, recently shared a personal experience that starkly illustrates the ongoing racial disparities in healthcare. Despite being a Harvard-educated emergency physician, Blackstock found herself on the receiving end of subpar medical care, highlighting how even medical professionals can fall victim to systemic biases. Blackstock recounts a harrowing experience of being misdiagnosed with sciatica while suffering from a potentially life-threatening condition. Her symptoms, including severe lower back pain radiating down her leg, were initially dismissed. It wasn’t until she advocated for herself and insisted on further testing that doctors discovered she had a…
A study by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) researchers found that expanded Medicaid benefits covering prenatal and postpartum care significantly increased detection and treatment of mental health conditions among low-income immigrant mothers. The study, published in JAMA Network Open and led by Dr. Maria Rodriguez (above), director of the OHSU Center for Reproductive Health Equity, analyzed data from nearly 44,000 births to Medicaid recipients in Oregon and South Carolina. Oregon provides emergency Medicaid coverage for prenatal care, while South Carolina only covers emergencies and hospitalizations. Researchers found that immigrant mothers in Oregon had higher rates of diagnosed mental health…
Living in historically redlined areas is associated with increased odds of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer in non-Hispanic Black women and late-stage diagnosis in non-Hispanic white women, a new study reveals. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, also found that persistent mortgage discrimination is tied to higher breast cancer mortality in non-Hispanic white women. Dr. Jasmine Miller-Kleinhenz and colleagues from Emory University analyzed data from 1,764 non-Hispanic Black and white women in Georgia diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2017. They discovered that Black women living in redlined areas had 62% higher odds of ER-negative breast cancer, while white…
In the ongoing struggle for reproductive health equity, women of color in the United States continue to face significant challenges. Recent developments in abortion legislation and potential changes to the Affordable Care Act are poised to exacerbate existing disparities, particularly for Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous women. These demographic groups, representing over a third of women of reproductive age in the country, are at increased risk of unintended pregnancies and preterm births. The situation is further complicated by the looming threat of restrictions on mifepristone, a crucial medication used in abortions for more than two decades. Lupe M. Rodríguez, executive director of…