Race Health

"When looking at the social epidemiology of the United States, it is hard to miss the disparities among races. In 2008, the average life expectancy for white males was approximately five years longer than for African American males: 75.9 compared to 70.9. In 2007, the infant mortality rate for African Americans was nearly twice that of white Americans at 13.2 compared to 5.6 per 1,000 live births. African Americans also have higher incidence of several other diseases and causes of mortality, from cancer to heart disease to diabetes. Ethnic minorities, including Mexican Americans and Native Americans, also have higher rates of these diseases and causes of mortality than whites. The National Healthcare Disparities Report shows that even after adjusting for insurance differences, racial and ethnic minority groups receive poorer quality of care and less access to care than dominant groups. Black Americans, American Indians, and Alaskan Natives received inferior care than Caucasian Americans for about 40 percent of measures, Asian ethnicities received inferior care for about 20 percent of measures, and Hispanic whites received inferior care for 60 percent of measures compared to non-Hispanic whites."