A new ESPN/KFF survey reveals that Black NFL players from the 1988 season are experiencing significantly worse health and life outcomes than their white counterparts—and even compared to Black men of the same age who never played professional football. Among the most striking findings: 70% of Black players reported living with a disability, compared to 50% of white players. Twice as many Black players said they struggle with concentration and decision-making due to physical or mental conditions. One in five reported a dementia diagnosis—more than double the rate among white players. Dr. Gail Christopher of the National Collaborative for Health…
Author: Disparity Matters
A sweeping analysis of over 13 million clinical notes reveals a troubling pattern: Black patients are more likely than white patients to have their credibility questioned by doctors. The study, led by researchers at Johns Hopkins, found that clinicians used language implying doubt—such as “claims,” “insists,” or “noncompliant”—more frequently in notes about Black patients.This “credibility bias” was subtle but significant. While such terms appeared in less than 1% of all notes, they were disproportionately directed at Black patients. At the same time, Black patients were less likely to receive affirming language that supports their credibility. Researchers warned that these patterns…
A new national study finds that racial and ethnic disparities in how patients are prescribed pain medication in U.S. emergency departments have not improved despite major shifts in pain management during the opioid crisis. Using data from more than 35,000 emergency visits for acute injuries, researchers compared prescribing patterns for White, Black, Hispanic, and other patients. They found that non-Hispanic White patients were consistently more likely to receive narcotic prescriptions than Black, Hispanic, and other racial groups, regardless of the time period studied. During the first wave of the opioid epidemic in the early 2000s, opioid prescribing in emergency departments…
In Detroit and its surrounding counties, researcher Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson argues that residential eviction is deeply fueling the nation’s maternal health crisis, “especially for Black women.” She writes that stable housing is “a cornerstone of maternal health, shaping birth outcomes long before labor begins,” yet many Black women are “carrying life while carrying terror” as they face eviction threats during pregnancy.Sealy-Jefferson launched the Social Epidemiology to Combat Unjust Residential Evictions (SECURE) Study to “quantify the magnitude and severity of court-ordered and illegal residential evictions” among Black women and to center their experiences. Surveying more than 1,400 Black women of reproductive age…
Clinicians are more likely to express doubt in the medical records of Black patients than White patients, according to a new study published in PLOS One. Researchers analyzed over 13 million electronic health records from a large health system and found that notes about non-Hispanic Black patients were significantly more likely to contain language questioning the patient’s sincerity or competence.Terms like “claims,” “insists,” or “poor historian” were flagged by artificial intelligence tools as indicators of doubt. While fewer than 1% of all notes contained such language, Black patients faced disproportionately higher odds of being described in ways that undermined their…
Black women with ovarian cancer continue to face worse outcomes than their White counterparts, and researchers say a lack of representation in genetic studies may be part of the problem. At the 15th Biennial Rivkin Center Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium, experts highlighted persistent disparities in survival, access to care, and genomic understanding.According to SEER data from 2012 to 2018, Black women had a 41% five-year survival rate compared to 49% for White women, regardless of when the cancer was diagnosed. While mortality rates are declining overall, the pace of improvement is slower for Black women.One major concern is the high…
Hundreds of federally funded research projects aimed at understanding and reducing health disparities have been abruptly canceled under the Trump administration’s second term, sparking alarm among scientists and public health advocates.The National Institutes of Health terminated at least 616 projects focused on closing health gaps between racial and socioeconomic groups. Nearly half of the $913 million in canceled awards had been earmarked for disparities research, including studies on maternal mortality, chronic disease, and access to care in underserved communities.Many researchers say their work was cut not for lack of merit, but because it included terms like “race,” “gender,” or “equity.”…
Black women in the United States are dying during pregnancy and childbirth at alarming rates—two to four times higher than White, Hispanic, or Asian women. A new analysis from the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility and the McKinsey Health Institute reports that maternal mortality among Black women reached 50 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, and could nearly double by 2040 if current trends persist.Beyond mortality, Black women face disproportionate rates of serious conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and postpartum depression. These health challenges may not always be fatal, but they take a heavy toll. The report estimates…
A recent meta-analysis has revealed troubling disparities in the use of prostate MRI among racial minority groups, with Black and Hispanic men receiving significantly less diagnostic imaging than their white counterparts. The study, published in Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology, analyzed data from over 94,000 patients and found that Caucasian men were three times more likely to undergo prostate MRI than Black men.The gap was even wider for other groups. Only 19% of Black men received prostate MRI, compared to 66% of white patients. Hispanic men saw even lower rates at just 7%, and Asian men at 4%. These disparities…
A new study reveals that social determinants of health (SDOH)—such as housing instability, isolation, and economic hardship—are rarely documented in the medical records of cancer patients, despite their known impact on outcomes. Using data from over 50,000 adults with cancer, researchers found that less than 2% had any SDOH-related Z codes in their claims, even though those with Z codes had significantly higher rates of comorbidities and metastatic disease.Z codes are diagnostic codes meant to capture individual-level social challenges. Yet 54% of oncologists surveyed had never heard of them. Only 19% had used them, and many cited lack of reimbursement…