Ethnic Disparities

Numerous studies over the past two decades have documented racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Surveys of the public and of health care providers have revealed little awareness of these disparities.

In addition to raising awareness, the challenge facing researchers, policymakers and health care providers is to identify and disentangle the many complex factors that account for racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care, so that the sources of inequity can be addressed.

National Organizations

The Kaiser Family Foundation - view their page on Minority Health: Racial Disparities.  A leader in health policy and communications, the Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the U.S., as well as the U.S. role in global health policy. 

Florida Organizations

“Closing the Gap” is a grant program to stimulate the development of community and neighborhood-based organizations in Florida to improve health outcomes of racial and ethnic populations and promote disease prevention activities. 

Florida Healthy People - The Florida Healthy People 2010 Minority Health Report includes information on Florida’s status regarding health disparities, Florida’s efforts to increase minorities in health professions and the progress of Florida’s minority physician network.

Related Articles & Video

Los Angeles Times Articles: Healthcare Gap Persists for Minority Women - LA County report finds higher mortality rate among black women, less access to care among Latinas and lower rates of preventative care among Asians.  Obesity rates went up countywide since 2005. 

Excerpt from White Privilege:  Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh, associate director of the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women.

Video: A Gardener's Tale - Dr. Camara Jones of the CDC describes three types of racism, institutional racism, personally-mediated racism, internalized racism.  In a 2002 videotaped interview for the CityMatCH Annual Urban MCH Leadership Conference, Dr. Jones shared a simple yet remarkably profound allegory she grew and nurtured to help people come to a place of understanding about the many layers and nuances of institutionalized, personally-mediated, and internalized racism.

Video segment from the Unnatural Causes PBS Series on Infant Mortality and Race - Why do infant mortality rates among African Americans remain more than twice as high as among white Americans? Although birth outcomes are generally better for those with higher education and income, Black women with college degrees are still more likely to give birth prematurely than white women who haven’t even finished high school. Researchers are circling in on a provocative explanation: the chronic stress of racism can become embedded in the body, taking a heavy toll on African American families and on children even before they leave the womb.  View also this segment: Kim Anderson’s Story.

Ten things everyone should know about race - Background readings developed by the 3-part documentary 'Race: the Power of Illusion', by California Newsreel.