Read Time: 1 Minute, 15 Seconds
In the United States, April is recognized as National Minority Health Month. With an increasingly diverse population, the needs of these groups must be identified and met to reduce current disparities in healthcare education and quality. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identifies five social determinates of health (SDOH), including:
- Economic Stability
- Education Access and Quality
- Healthcare Access and Quality
- Neighborhood and Built Environment, and
- Social and Community Context
Below are five facts relating to the health and care of minority patients in the United States.
Did You Know?
- 80% of health outcomes are tied to social and economic conditions.
- Black Americans have the highest mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group for all cancers combined and for most cancers.
- Liver cancer is more than twice as likely to affect Asian Americans than white Americans.
- According to the US. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Minority Health, in 2019, the tuberculosis incidence rates among Native Americans and Alaska Natives were almost 7x higher than that of the white population (3.4 vs 0.5).
- Depression was 2.4x higher among adults who identified as LGBTQ+ (45.4% vs. 19.2%)
How to Help
For resources on how to get involved this April, visit the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities website by clicking here.
Resources
Social Determinants of Health Data Quality at Different Levels of Geographic Detail: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37203650/#:~:text=Social%20determinants%20of%20health%20(SDOH,these%20data%20elements%20to%20clinicians.
PrimetimeNews.com: https://www.myprimetimenews.com/april-is-national-minority-health-month/#:~:text=Black%2FAfrican%20Americans%20have%20the,than%20non%2DHispanic%20white%20men.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: https://www.hhs.gov/national-minority-health-month/toolkit/index.html
Statnews.com: https://www.statnews.com/2023/11/21/asian-american-health-disparities-obscured/
Dept. of Health and Human Services – Office of Minority Health: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/american-indianalaska-native-health
America’s Health Rankings: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/learn/reports/2023-annual-report/executive-brief
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities: https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/programs/edu-training/nmhm/
Check out more of our Quick Reads Articles below:
