Progress Toward Elimination of Health Disparities

The following discussion highlights progress toward the elimination of health disparities. The disparities are illustrated in the Disparities Table (see Figure 10-2), which displays information about disparities among select populations for which data were available for assessment. Limited data were available at the midcourse review regarding disparities.

One objective and six subobjectives had partial data available. For cases of foodborne infections (10-1a through d, and f), data were available to compare rates of males and females only. Females had better rates than males had for foodborne infections caused by Campylobacter species (10-1a) and L. monocytogenes (10-1c). The gender disparity in foodborne infections due to postdiarrheal HUS among children under 5 years of age (10-1f) declined between 1997 and 2002. For subobjectives 10-1a and c, males had a 10 percent to 49 percent higher rate of infection than females. Males experienced fewer foodborne illnesses from E. coli O157:H7 (10-1b) than females. Although males had the better rate than females for HUS (10-1f) since 2000, the disparity between males and females decreased by 10 to 49 percentage points.

Baseline disparity data for severe allergic reactions to food (10-4b) by gender showed that males had a better rate than females. High school graduates had a better rate for avoiding severe food allergy reactions than persons with at least some college.

The objective for food safety practices in consumers aged 18 years and older (10-5) (that is, clean—wash hands, utensils, and surfaces often; separate—don't cross-contaminate; cook—cook to proper temperatures; and chill—refrigerate promptly) had data for gender and education level and comparison data for race and ethnicity. The white non-Hispanic population had the best rate of racial and ethnic groups; women had a better rate than men. The differences among education levels were less than 10 percent. The Asian population experienced the largest disparity—50 percent to 99 percent from the best group rate. Recognition of this disparity reveals the need for culturally competent and linguistically appropriate outreach to Asian audiences. Males and the Hispanic population each had a 10 percent to 49 percent disparity from the best group for objective 10-5. Data were not available for the American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander groups. To correct these inequalities, FSIS created and distributed culturally competent food safety message cards to underserved African American, Asian American, American Indian, and Hispanic populations.

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