Social factors of health disparities

When one considers health disparities along racial/ethnic and socioeconomic lines, the realization is that many factors come in to play. An analysis was conducted on a national data set (The Community Tracking Study) to compare health status, poverty, and educational attainment by race/ethnicity and gender. Self reported general health was significantly different across race/ethnicity, gender, and educational attainment. Compared to all other race/ethnicities, Black Americans were 1.17 times and Hispanics were 1.295 times more likely to report their health as poor or fair than Whites. Females were 1.19 more likely to report their health as poor or fair. Those with high school or less were 2.31 times more likely to report their health as poor or fair than those with more education. With respect to poverty, those with high school or less were 3.6 times more likely to report being below poverty level regardless of age. Blacks were 1.25 times more likely to report being below poverty level than all other races/ethnicities. Significant differences were also found or education. Hispanics were 2.5 times more likely and Blacks were 2.09 times more likely to have a high school diploma or less than Whites. These differences contribute significantly to health disparities. Looking at educational status, poverty levels, and perceived health status by ethnicity gives us a broad view of where disparities are inherent. To impact health disparities, inclusivity and diversity of the population must be considered. Policy changes as well as programs that address these underlying factors are required.