Racial and ethnic differences in self-rated health among adults with and without disabilities – United States, 2006

Self-rated health, in particular fair or poor health, has been found to be a predictor of mortality. Evidence in the public health literature suggests gender and racial differences in self-rated health exist. Using surveillance data we assess racial and ethnic differences in self-rated health status among adults with and those without a disability. Data from the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used to estimate disability prevalence and to assess differences in self-rated health status by race and ethnicity and disability. In 2006, an estimated 50 million Americans, or 21.7% of the total U.S. population aged 18 years or older, had a disability. Estimated rates of disability by race and ethnicity were as follows: White (22.1%), Black or African American (22.1%), Hispanic (16.8%), Native American (31.6%), Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander (13.1%). Adults with a disability were more likely than those without a disability to report being in fair or poor health (38.7% vs. 9.6%; p<0.01). Within each racial and ethnic group the fair/poor health status of adults with a disability compared to those without a disability was as follows: White (35.0% vs. 6.0%; p<0.01), Black or African American (46.0% vs. 13.1%; p<0.01), Hispanic (55.1% vs. 25.0%; p<0.01); Native American (51.0% vs. 11.5%; p<0.01); Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander (27.2% vs. 9.0%; p<0.01). Efforts to reduce racial and ethnic health inequalities might be inadequate if they do not explicitly incorporate strategies to improve the health and well being of people with disabilities.