Facts: Racial Disparities in Health
The nation’s infant mortality rate has fallen; however, the infant mortality rate of African Americans is still more than double that of whites. Heart disease death rates are more than 40% higher for African Americans than for whites. African American women have a higher death rate from breast cancer, despite having a mammography screening rate that is nearly the same as for white women.
Hispanics living in the Unites States are almost twice as likely to die from diabetes as are non-Hispanic whites. Hispanics are also more likely to have higher rates of high blood pressure and obesity.
American Indians and Alaska Natives also have an infant mortality rate almost double that of whites. They also have a diabetes rate that is twice as high as the rate of diabetes in whites.
Asians and Pacific Islanders are, on average, some of the healthiest population groups in the United States. Although the overall health is better, there are still some marked disparities in some segments of the population—for example, women of Vietnamese descent experience cervical cancer nearly five times more often than white women.
For more information see www.cdc.gov/omh/AMH/AMH.htm (1). Participate in clinical research and help us remove the racial disparity in health for good.
