Q1. W‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍hat are some of the main factors that lead to racial inequality in health?

            Racial inequality in health care has been a vexing issue for policymakers and health care systems in the United States. According to Valdez (2016), ethnic minority groups in the U.S, including African Americans and Hispanic Americans, continue to receive low-quality care compared to native groups despite the continuous societal progress regarding racial discrimination and inequality in today’s world. Bias from healthcare providers is one of the key driving factors of racial disparities in healthcare. Valdez (2016) maintains that racial inequality causes are complex and multifaceted, but there is an extensive accord that health care providers play a central role in healthcare racial inequalities. Healthcare providers provide substandard care to ethnic minority groups even when access to insurance is even for both minority groups and whites. For instance, physical indicators highlighted by Williams, Lawrence & Davis (2019) suggest that there are higher morbidity and mortality rates among Black Americans than white persons.

           Socioeconomic inequalities also contribute to racial disparities in health. Williams, Lawrence & Davis (2019) claim that racial disparities in health care are undeniably related to socioeconomic inequity to some degree. The author’s referenced statistics indicating that ethnic minorities are more likely to work in lower-paying jobs that do not offer comprehensive access to health insurance packages. Furthermore, minority groups in the U.S experience high unemployment levels, which inhibits their access to high-quality health care. However, Valdez (2016) notes that racial health disparities are more complex than limited access to health care. They recommend that health care providers acquire a certain level of understanding regarding the citizens’ primary health concerns regardless of their race. The citizens also need to understand primary health concerns, including identifying symptoms of specific illnesses and taking precautionary measures such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

Q2. How does racism contribute to illness and health disparities?

            Racial health disparities are immense and prevalent in the United States. Valdez (2016) maintains that African Americans have a higher death rate than whites in almost all the fifteen leading causes of death, including cancer, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension. Another data indicates that over 100,000 African Americans die prematurely annually due to racial health disparities. Moreover, Williams, Lawrence & Davis (2019) note that racism and discrimination are deeply rooted in society’s social, economic, and political systems. These disparities result in unequal treatment of minority groups in all aspects of life, including health. Therefore, racism contributes to illness and health disparities in that members of minority groups often receive low-quality healthcare, and they are unlikely to receive adequate preventive health care services.

           Besides, racism makes minority groups have worse health outcomes for some health conditions that require high-quality care, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, among others (Williams, Lawrence & Davis, 2019). Furthermore, social factors affecting ethnic minority groups in the U.S, such as unemployment and unstable housing, lead to poor health. Additionally, Williams, Lawrence & Davis (2019) maintain that the life expectancy of ethnic minority groups in the U.S is often shorter than that of their white counterparts by about a decade. This is because people of color face higher risk diseases such as stroke, cancer, diabetes, and mental illnesses, which stem partly from the pressure and trauma of being ignored, oppressed, and targeted for violence and other forms of abuse.

References

Valdez, Z. (2016). Beyond black and white: A reader on contemporary race relations

Williams, D. R., Lawrence, J. A., & Davis, B. A. (2019). Racism and health: evidence and needed research. Annual review of public health, 40, 105-125.

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