Health Disparities
by Eva M. Vivian, PharmD, MS, PhD
"Health disparities in racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic populations are well documented and have a negative impact on the health of many residents in underserved communities. While structural inequalities in health care have existed for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought these inequalities to the forefront of public consciousness.1 The differences in COVID-19 death rates by race are not due to biological differences, but social and economic inequalities that are directly associated with health disparities. It should be no surprise that Black Americans who have faced disparities in the US healthcare systems for decades are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).2 Blacks represent 14.8% of all COVID-19 mortalities in the United States, which is greater than the proportion of Black individuals in the U.S. population (13.4%). This disparate outcome can be attributed to the influence of structural racism on institutions, laws, and social policies that gave rise to an uneven distribution of the social determinants of health."
Keywords: COVID-19 Vaccines, Medically Uninsured, Pharmacists Health Status, Disparities, African Americans, Social Determinants of Health, Community-Institutional Relations, Blood Pressure, Pandemics, Social Conditions, Systemic Racism, Socioeconomic Factors, Health Services, Accessibility, Medication Adherence, Healthy Lifestyle, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Public Policy, Pharmacy, Poverty
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2022 March/April Table of Contents
"Health disparities in racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic populations are well documented and have a negative impact on the health of many residents in underserved communities. While structural inequalities in health care have existed for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought these inequalities to the forefront of public consciousness.1 The differences in COVID-19 death rates by race are not due to biological differences, but social and economic inequalities that are directly associated with health disparities. It should be no surprise that Black Americans who have faced disparities in the US healthcare systems for decades are disproportionately impacted by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).2 Blacks represent 14.8% of all COVID-19 mortalities in the United States, which is greater than the proportion of Black individuals in the U.S. population (13.4%). This disparate outcome can be attributed to the influence of structural racism on institutions, laws, and social policies that gave rise to an uneven distribution of the social determinants of health."
Keywords: COVID-19 Vaccines, Medically Uninsured, Pharmacists Health Status, Disparities, African Americans, Social Determinants of Health, Community-Institutional Relations, Blood Pressure, Pandemics, Social Conditions, Systemic Racism, Socioeconomic Factors, Health Services, Accessibility, Medication Adherence, Healthy Lifestyle, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Public Policy, Pharmacy, Poverty
Download PDF
2022 March/April Table of Contents