& A. Assignment

1. & A. Assignment

Step 1: Examine all of the definitions of health disparity: List 4 of the 11 source of definitions named in the article and their corresponding definitions of a health disparity.

According to the Minnesota department of health, health disparity is the difference between a defined portion of the population and the majority. Disparities can exist because of socio-economic status, age, geographical area, gender, race or ethnicity, language, customs, and other cultural factors, disability or special health need (Carter-Porkas & Baquet, 2002 p. 431).

According to the resource center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, ETR associates, health disparities refer to differences in health status amongst different groups of people. In the United States, these groups are categorized by gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, geographic location, and sometimes sexual orientation (Carter-Porkas & Baquet, 2002 p. 431).

According to the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services (1985), health disparity is the statistical technique of ‘excess deaths.’ That is the difference between the number of deaths observed in minority populations and the number of deaths, which would have been expected if the minority population had the same age- and sex-specific death rate as the non-minority population (Carter-Porkas & Baquet, 2002 p. 431).

According to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental hygiene, Community Health Administration, health disparity includes the principle groups outlined in the Healthy People 2010 report. These include population segments categorized by gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, geographical location, or sexual orientation (Carter-Porkas & Baquet, 2002, p. 431)..

Step 2: How does Dr. Whitehead (and EURO/WHO) define health inequities?

According to Dr. Whitehead, it is the differences in health which are unnecessary and unavoidable and also considered unfair and unjust (Carter-Porkas & Baquet, 2002 p. 427)
Step 3: Dr. Whitehead lists 7 determinants of health disparities. Name one determinant that could be influenced by the government to reduce health disparity.

Inadequate access to essential health services and other basic services (Carter-Porkas & Baquet, 2002, p. 427). The government can change this by providing adequate and quality essential health services.
Step 4: Explain how the article defines inequality and inequity?

Inequality is the condition of being unequal, or lack of equality in opportunity, treatment or status. Inequity, on the other hand, is an instance of unjustness or unfairness (Carter-Porkas & Baquet, 2002, p. 427). also, both inequity and inequality are used to define the same meaning as disparity with respect to health in different countries. America defines it as health disparity, other countries as health inequality, or health inequity (Carter-Porkas & Baquet, 2002 p. 427).

Step 5: In the example of gonorrhea, why can it be a disadvantage to using the general population as a comparison group?

When using the general population, one subpopulation with very high risk can affect the estimate, overlooking elevation of risk in another subgroup. In the gonorrhea case, in 2000, there were 129 incidences per 100, 000 Americans. Also, per the same 100, 000 Americans, non-Hispanic blacks had 827 incidents, Hispanics had 78, while non-Hispanic whites had 28. Hispanic had lower incidence rates when compared to the general population, and comparing Hispanic incidences to the general population, Hispanics would not be seen as having any disparity. When compared to whites, who are 28, Hispanics are more than that, and thus are considered as having a disparity. Therefore, the use of the general population overlooks risks about minority groups in the used data.

References

Carter-Porkas, O. & Baquet, C. (2002). What is a “Health Disparity?” Public Health Reports, 117: 426-434.