Health disparities in racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. are strongly associated with variations in tobacco use and accessibility as well as the quality of health care. Each year minorities in this country experience at least 60,000 excess deaths (deaths beyond what would be expected if they had the same sex and age-adjusted rates as the white population). Differences across groups can range ...

INTRODUCTION Although other studies have found evidence for perinatal health disparities among Pacific Islanders in other regions, no studies have evaluated racial/ethnic disparities in adverse perinatal health outcomes in the small US island territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). METHODS We used retrospective cohort data on 8,427 singleton births from 2007 to 2...

Prominent racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy, abortion, and unintended births exist in the United States. These disparities can contribute to the cycle of disadvantage experienced by specific demographic groups when women are unable to control their fertility as desired. In this review we consider 3 factors that contribute to disparities in family plann...

Objectives This study describes key population health concepts and examines major empirical trends in US health and healthcare inequalities from 1935 to 2016 according to important social determinants such as race/ethnicity, education, income, poverty, area deprivation, unemployment, housing, rural-urban residence, and geographic location. Methods Long-term trend data from the National Vital ...

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in health care and health outcomes are well documented. Disparities research is evolving from documenting these disparities, to understanding their causes and mechanisms, and finally to conducting interventional research to reduce or eliminate disparities. Unfortunately, few studies to date have demonstrated substantial reductions in health outcomes...

Last few decades have witnessed remarkable progress in our understanding of cancer initiation and progression leading to refinement of prevention and treatment approaches. Although these advances have improved the survival of cancer patients in general, certain racial/ethnic groups have benefited only partially. Footprints of cancer-associated racial disparities are very much evident in cancers...

Black Americans have substantially higher rates of cardiovascular mortality than other racial and ethnic groups in the United States, and they have experienced much less improvement in this important outcome than white Americans over the past 15 years. Racial disparities in cardiovascular treatment contributing to this mortality gap have been extensively documented. Numerous deficiencies, howev...

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether racial disparities in tumor characteristics among uterine cancer patients persisted, and varied by age, in an equal-access healthcare population. METHODS The distributions of tumor histology, stage and grade by race were compared for uterine cancers diagnosed from 1990 to 2003 using data from the U.S. Department of Defense's Automated Central Tumor Reg...

One underutilized method for reducing health disparities and training culturally competent health care workers is the engagement of undergraduate student health organizations in conducting health screenings, promotion, and health education outreach activities in in underserved racial/ethnic communities. We conducted a needs assessment of 14 predominantly racial/ethnic minority undergraduate stu...

In this article we argue for the utility of the life-course perspective as a tool for understanding and addressing health disparities across socioeconomic and racial or ethnic groups, particularly disparities that originate in childhood. Key concepts and terms used in life-course research are briefly defined; as resources, examples of existing literature and the outcomes covered are provided al...