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Last Modified: Feb. 8, 2008
Last Reviewed: Feb. 8, 2008
Content Source:
Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities (OMHD) |
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Highlights
in Minority Health
& Health Disparities
February, 2008
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FEBRUARY 2008 IS AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH |
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During National African American History
Month, we honor the achievements of African
Americans and recognize our continued responsibility to strive for
equality for all our citizens.1
According
to the 2000 U.S. Census, those who identify as Black or African
American (alone or in combination with another race) constitute
approximately 12.9% of the American population -- about 36.4 million
individuals.2
The Census Bureau projects that by the year 2050 there will be more
than 61 million African American individuals in the United States,
comprising 14.6% of the population.3
Despite great improvements in the overall health of the nation,
health disparities remain widespread among members of racial and
ethnic minority populations.4 |
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EXAMPLES OF IMPORTANT HEALTH DISPARITIES |
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Racial and Ethnic |
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In 2004, African Americans had the highest age-adjusted all-causes
death rate of all races/ethnicities. In addition, African Americans
had the highest age-adjusted death rate for heart disease, cancer,
diabetes, and HIV/AIDS.5 |
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Table 1:
2004 Age-Adjusted Death Rates
for Selected Causes of Death, per 100,000 Population |
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All
Populations |
African
Americans |
Asian
Americans & Pacific Islanders |
% Relative
Disparity |
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All Causes |
800.8 |
1,027.3 |
443.9 |
131.4% |
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Heart Disease |
217.0 |
280.6 |
117.8 |
139.1% |
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Cancer |
185.8 |
227.2 |
110.5 |
105.6% |
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Diabetes |
24.5 |
48.0 |
16.6 |
189.2% |
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Unintentional
Injury |
37.7 |
36.3 |
16.7 |
117.4% |
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HIV Disease |
4.5 |
20.4 |
0.7 |
2,814.3% |
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Source:
Health, United States, 2007 Table 29.
Note: This table compares
the difference in the rate between African Americans and the
group with the best rate for the selected diseases.
More information on % Relative Disparity can be found at
Measuring Progress in Healthy People 2010, HP2010
Statistical Notes #25, 2004. |
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In 2005, non-Hispanic black persons
18 years of age and over were less likely than
non-Hispanic white persons to have received a flu shot during the
past 12 months (Non-Hispanic black: 26.9%; Non-Hispanic white: 41.0%)6, and were also less likely to have ever received a pneumococcal vaccination (Non-Hispanic black:
40.4%; Non-Hispanic
white: 60.6%).7 |
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According to the
2000 census, blacks make up approximately 13% of the U.S.
population. However, in 2005, blacks accounted for 18,121
(49%) of the estimated 37,331 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United
States in the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV
reporting.8 |
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In 2004, African Americans were more likely to be obese*
than AAPIs (African American: 33.6%; AAPI: 6.8%), a 394.1% relative
disparity. African American women are particularly
impacted, with 39.0% of African American women 18 years of age and
over obese in 2004.9 |
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Systemic Lupus
Erythematosus (SLE) is three times more common in Black women than in
white women. Black and Hispanic/Latina women tend to develop symptoms at an
earlier age than other women. African Americans have more severe organ problems, especially with
their kidneys.10 |
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PROMISING INTERVENTION STRATEGIES |
| Eliminating racial and ethnic disparities
in health will require enhanced efforts at preventing disease,
promoting health and delivering appropriate care. This will
necessitate improved collection and use of standardized data to
correctly identify all high risk populations and monitor the
effectiveness of health interventions targeting these groups.11 |
| Eliminating health disparities will also
require new knowledge about the determinants of disease, causes of
health disparities, and effective interventions for prevention and
treatment. It will also require improving access to the benefits of
society, including quality preventive and treatment services, as
well as innovative ways of working in partnership with health care
systems, State and local governments, tribal governments, academia,
national and community-based organizations, and communities.11 |
| Culturally appropriate, community-driven
programs are critical for eliminating racial and ethnic disparities
in health. For these programs to be effective, prevention research
is needed to identify the causes of health disparities and the best
means of delivering preventive and clinical services. Establishing
these programs will also require new and innovative partnerships
among federal, state, local, and tribal governments and communities.12 |
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PROGRAMS AND
ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
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CDC’s Office of
Minority Health and Health Disparities (OMHD) |
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The
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (HHS) created the
Office of Minority Health in 1985 as a result of the Report of
the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health which
revealed large and persistent gaps in health status among Americans
of different racial and ethnic groups. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) created its own Office of Minority
Health (OMH) in 1988 in response to the same report. Congress passed
the “Disadvantaged Minority Health Act of 1990” in order to improve
the health status of underserved populations, including racial and
ethnic minorities.13 |
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CDC/ATSDR Minority
Initiatives Coordinating Committee (CAMICC) |
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CAMICC coordinates all the Health and Human Services (HHS)
departmental minority health initiatives within CDC/ATSDR, including
activities which target all racial and ethnic groups. CAMICC meets
monthly to discuss progress in implementing the plans. The committee
is comprised of representatives from CDC's Coordinating Centers,
National Centers, Institute, and
Offices (CIOs) and ATSDR.14 |
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CAMICC was charged by the CDC Director in 2000 to coordinate CDC/ATSDR's
agency-wide activities relative to minority health, provide guidance
and policy direction for minority health initiatives, serve as an
advisor to the Director of CDC/ATSDR on matters relative to minority
health and provide leadership in developing and implementing plans
to improve minority health nationally.14 |
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Racial and Ethnic
Approaches to Community Health Across the United States (REACH U.S.) |
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REACH U.S. serves as the cornerstones of CDC’s efforts to eliminate
racial and ethnic disparities in health. Launched in 1999 as REACH
2010, REACH U.S. is designed to eliminate disparities in at least
one of the following health priority areas: breast and cervical
cancer; cardiovascular disease; diabetes mellitus; adult / older
adult immunization, hepatitis B, and/or Tuberculosis; asthma; and
infant mortality.4 |
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Healthy People
2010 |
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The Healthy People Initiative has been the Nation's prevention and
health promotion agenda for the last two decades. Healthy People
2010 is designed to achieve two overarching goals:
1) Increase quality and years of healthy life;
2) Eliminate health disparities.
By the midcourse review, the Black, Non-Hispanic population had the
best rate for 21 percent of these objectives and sub-objectives,
including counseling about health risks (Focus Areas 1 and 2) and
quality of their health providers’ communication skills (Focus Area
11).15
This population had rates at least 100 percent worse than the best
group for 20 percent of these objectives and sub-objectives,
including most causes of death in many focus areas.
The CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(CDC/ATSDR) has lead or co-lead responsibility for 18 of the 28 (64
percent) Healthy People 2010 focus areas, including all six
areas identified in the HHS initiative to eliminate health
disparities: |
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Infant Mortality |
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Deficits in Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening & Management |
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Cardiovascular Diseases |
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Diabetes |
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HIV Infections/AIDS |
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Child and Adult Immunizations.12 |
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SOURCES |
| 1. |
The White House, National African American History Month, 2007 |
| 2. |
U.S. Census Bureau, The Black Population: 2000 |
| 3. |
Projected Population of the United States, by Race and Hispanic
Origin: 2000-2050 |
| 4. |
REACH
U.S. Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Across the U.S. |
| 5. |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center
for Health Statistics (NCHS), Health United States, 2007 Table
29. |
| 6. |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center
for Health Statistics (NCHS), Health United States, 2007 Table
85. |
| 7. |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center
for Health Statistics (NCHS), Health United States, 2007 Table
86. |
| 8. |
CDC,
Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS Among African Americans, 6/28/2007 |
| 9. |
CDC,
Vital & Health Statistics, Series 10, No.228, May, 2006, Summary
Health Statistics for U.S. Adults, National Health Interview Survey,
2004, Table 31. |
| 10. |
OMHD Lupus Factsheet,
HHS,
National Woman's Health Information Center (NNWHIC) Minority Women's
Health, Lupus, November, 2006 |
| 11. |
CDC, OMHD, Eliminating Racial & Ethnic Health Disparities, 2007 |
| 12. |
CDC, OMHD, Disease Burden & Risk Factors, 2007 |
| 13. |
CDC, OMHD, About Minority Health, 2007 |
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14. |
CDC, OMHD, CDC/ATSDR Minority Initiatives Coordinating Committee
(CAMICC), 2007 |
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15. |
Healthy People 2010 Mid-Course Review |
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16. |
CDC, Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH 2010):
Finding Solutions to Health Disparities: At a Glance, 2007 |
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