PH 135 Final Exam
ESSAY QUESTION #1
Health disparities amongst minorities continue to be a significant problem in the United
States. This issue will continue as discrimination and racism are two of the main reasons wh
...
PH 135 Final Exam
ESSAY QUESTION #1
Health disparities amongst minorities continue to be a significant problem in the United
States. This issue will continue as discrimination and racism are two of the main reasons why
African Americans, Latinos, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans have higher risks
than Whites in developing different diseases. Health disparities are preventable differences in the
burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are
experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. A person’s race or ethnicity, sex, sexual
identity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location can all contribute to their
ability in achieving good health. Many environmental factors contribute to these disparities
which include if an individual doesn’t have access to nutritious food, doesn’t live in a safe house,
no access to public transportation, no health insurance, language barrier and no access to clean
water, as well as polluted air in the community. There is a strong association between where a
person grows up and their health outcome later on in life. For example, those who are lowincome may only be able to afford houses that are not in safe locations, or these houses may have
mold in them. Since this is all they can afford, they are willing to risk their health. This
vulnerable population experiences these health disparities as a result of a lack of resources in
their communities and increased exposure to risk. The pervasive presence of major racial and
ethnic disparities in health presents a serious public policy problem requiring multiple
approaches. While improvements in economic and social conditions and the physical
environment would in all likelihood make substantial contributions to reducing health disparities,
health services interventions can also reduce inequalities. To understand why these health
disparities are occurring, we must first go to the communitie
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