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What are health disparities?
In the U.S., African-Americans
do not live as long as Caucasians. In general, women live longer than
men. People with more education are less likely to die from contagious
diseases. American Indians and Alaskan Native People born today in the
U.S. will live five years less than people of any other racial/ethnic
group.1 Such differences in health among groups of people are
called health
disparities.
| THINK ABOUT IT:
An African American boy born in 1999 could expect to live for a little over 67 years. A Caucasian boy born in the same year could expect to live a little over 74 years. The Caucasian boy would have an additional 7 years of life. 2 |
| THINK ABOUT IT:
US citizens who have not finished high school are more than 4 times as likely to die from contagious diseases than those citizens who have gone to college. 4 |
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3
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- Facts on Indian Health Disparities: Indian Health
Service/Office of the Director/Public Affairs Staff/April 2001.
- National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No.
6, March 21, 2002.
- See above.
- Pamuk E, Makuc D, Heck K, Reuban C, Lochner K.:
Socioeconomic Status and Health Chartbook. Health, NCHS; 1998.
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