181951 Racial and ethnic differences in self-rated health among adults with and without disabilities – United States, 2006

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 9:00 AM

Lesley A. Wolf, MPH , SAIC Contractor for NCBDDD/DHDD/Disability and Health Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Brian S. Armour, PhD , NCBDDD/DHDD/Disability and Health Team, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Vince Campbell, PhD , Acting Chief, Disability and Health Branch, Division of Human Development and Disabilities, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
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.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe racial and ethnic differences in self-rated health among adults with and without a disability using BRFSS data from 2006 2. Explain racial and ethnic disparities in health status of adults with a disability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a MPH in Epidemiology. I have conducted research and analyzed survey data on health disparities among adults with disabilities. This research has been published in 2 MMWR articles, and was presented at the 2007 APHA conference in Washington, DC.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.