2.5 What are Health Disparities?

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion defines a health disparity as a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have been systematically oppressed based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion” (2008). A health disparity exists when a certain demographic or cultural group experiences a negative health status or outcome at a greater rate than another group. Disparities among racial and ethnic groups are some of the most frequently cited, although health disparities can be found in the United States based on a variety of demographic factors, such as age, sex, income, disability status, sexual identities, language, geographic location, and other factors; many are a function of biology and culture combined. Health disparity data are used to make broad generalizations that can help experts try to reduce risk factors for entire populations by examining big picture influences on health, like the systems and environments in which people live. Health disparity information is not useful for discussing an individual’s health; information about a group of people’s general health isn’t necessarily indicative of an individual’s health. For example, older men are more likely than younger men to have high total cholesterol (Carroll et al., 2012), but this doesn’t mean all older men have high cholesterol and all young men have low cholesterol; your Uncle Sherman is more likely to have high cholesterol than Anthony, your college-aged cousin, but it doesn’t mean he will.

While we caution you against interpreting health disparity data in ways that can be too focused, if we want to improve health and reduce health disparities, we must have an understanding of how individual, family, neighborhood, and community characteristics shape interactions that promote better health or promote health disparities. By addressing multiple levels, we can promote health and wellbeing—thereby increasing protective factors—and create equitable and accessible opportunities for everyone to attain wellbeing to enhance quality of life, extend lives, and eliminate health disparities. An ideal environment is one where individuals do not have systems working against them as they make choices and take action to increase their own health and wellbeing. Further, they are supported in these efforts by the systems and environments in which they live.