Online Program

Oral

The national framework for Healthy People 2020 recognizes an ecological and determinants approach, which envisions that all people have the opportunity to live long, healthy lives. Today, regrettably, communities of color, particularly boys and men of color, fare worse than their white counterparts across a range of health indicators, including life expectancy, infant mortality, the prevalence of chronic disease, insurance coverage, access to adequate health care, and other indicators of health status. The potential for boys and men of color to reach optimal health and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in family health has yet to be explored from a life course perspective by a coordinated body of research, clinical practice, and policy strategies. Life expectancy among this population is affected by the timing of exposures to a wide range of social, economic, and biological risk factors during critical periods of growth and development. These exposures increase disease risk and have a cumulative lifelong negative effect on the structure and function of organs, tissues, and body systems resulting in disproportionate rates of health inequities including decreased life expectancy and mortality. There is a significant need to develop a national coordinated effort with evidence-based strategies to address these determinants of health and wellbeing for boys and men of color. This session will take a life course approach to identify and outline implications of the historical, social, economic, physical, and biological forces that shape the health and wellbeing of boys and men color and contribute to racial and ethnic health inequities, shortened life expectancy and premature mortality.

Session Objectives: Identify historical, social, economic, physical, and biological forces that shape the health and wellbeing among boys and men of color; Demonstrate the life course implications inequities on the health and wellbeing of boys and men of color; Describe necessary national coordinated efforts and evidence-based strategies to reduce and eliminate racial and ethnic inequities in health among boys and men of color.