Morbidity and Mortality Rates Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Essay Example

It appears that in the U.S. the racial and ethnic minorities have relatively high morbidity and mortality rates comparing to other ethnical groups. The reason for such a gap could be the different health treatment they get and their infrastructure in terms of areas where they live. However, it still depends on the racial or ethnical group, for the numbers for each of them are different.

The health disparities in the United States are well documented in minority groups like African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. For instance, “the mortality rate for African Americans is approximately 1.6 times higher than that for whites.”(Smedley and Stith 82) American Indians and Alaska Natives also experience higher mortality rates than whites, associated with relatively low life expectancy. Therefore, these minority groups have higher incidence of chronic diseases, poorer health outcomes and as a result – hither mortality. The predominant causes of this issue could be some personal, socioeconomic, and environmental characteristics of different ethnic and racial groups, like how they live in poorer areas with high incidence of lead-based paint that can actually hurt children. It can also depend on the barriers encountered by certain racial and ethnic groups when trying to interfere with the health care delivery system and the quality of health care received by these groups. In fact, this inequality could also be the result of lack of insurance coverage, regular source of care, and financial resources. These groups can also experience certain legal, linguistic, and structural barriers, thus facing poor transportation or language difficulties. The scarcity of providers and the lack of diversity in the health care workforce could also be the causes for higher morbidity and mortality rates among racial and ethnical minorities.

Works Cited

Smedley, Brian, Stith, Anrienne, and Alan Nelson. Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. National Academies Press, 2003.

Shi, Leiyu, and Gregory Stevens. Vulnerable populations in the United States. John Wiley and Sons, 2004.