Racial and ethnic minority youth in the US experience disproportionately high rates of several preventable health issues like asthma, obesity, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and STDs compared to white youth. These disparities are due to social factors like poverty, unequal access to healthcare, education, and environmental conditions. Early intervention is key to addressing disparities, as unhealthy behaviors established during childhood often lead to disease later in life. National surveys find differences in behaviors among black, Hispanic and white teens related to injury, sexual activity, substance use, diet, exercise and tobacco use. Public health efforts should focus on high-risk groups and raising awareness of disparities and strategies to reduce them.

1. Imhotep Virtual Medical School Marc Imhotep Cray, M.D.
Health Disparities and Racial/Ethnic Minority Youth
From IVMS Minority Health Education Blog
DATA SOURCE: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HealthDisparities/
LESSON ICEBREAKER VIDEO
RBG Socioeconomic Status, Race and Health-Online Narrative Version
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Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease,
injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are
experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.
Disparities often begin early in life, starting during
childhood or adolescence.
Young people from racial and ethnic minority groups
in the United States suffer disproportionately from a
number of preventable diseases and health problems.
For example:
 Compared with white youth, black and Hispanic youth have higher
prevalence of asthma, overweight, and type 2 diabetes.
 Rates of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and teen
pregnancy are higher among black and Hispanic youth than among
whites of the same age.
Health Disparities and Racial/Ethnic Minority Youth
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2. Imhotep Virtual Medical School Marc Imhotep Cray, M.D.
 In 2007, black youth accounted for approximately 68% of new
HIV/AIDS cases among 13–19 year olds, even though they
represented only 15% of the population in that age group.
 Hispanic youth experience proportionately more anxiety-related
behaviors and depression than do non-Hispanic white youth.
 Among youth aged 10–19 years, American Indians have the highest
prevalence of type 2 diabetes of any racial/ethnic group.
 Suicide rates among American Indians/Alaska Natives aged 15–34
years are more than two times higher than the national average for
that age group.
Contributors to Health Disparities
The causes of these differences in health — known as "health disparities"
— are many. Poverty, unequal access to health care, poor environmental
conditions, educational inequalities, individual behaviors, and language
barriers are all important contributors.
Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury,
violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by socially
disadvantaged populations.
These disparities are inequitable and directly related to the historical and current
unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources.
In addition to race and ethnicity, health disparities also exist on the basis of sex,
age, income level, geography, sexual orientation, disability, and special health
care needs.
To address health disparities, early intervention is key. Most of the leading
causes of illness and premature death among minority youth and adults
stem from unhealthy behaviors that become established during childhood
and adolescence—such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, risky sexual
behaviors, and use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.
Health Disparities and Racial/Ethnic Minority Youth
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3. Imhotep Virtual Medical School Marc Imhotep Cray, M.D.
Findings from a National Survey of Youth
To learn more about the health-related behaviors of our nation's young
people — their eating and exercise habits, their drinking and drug use,
their sexual activities, and more — CDC conducts the national Youth Risk
Behavior Survey. This survey is given every two years to 9th–12th grade
students in public and private schools across the United States.
Demographic data are also collected through this survey to help
researchers analyze trends by age, sex, and race/ethnicity.
The findings from this national youth survey have contributed greatly to
our understanding of racial/ethnic disparities in health. CDC has prepared
two reports that summarize the survey data and identify important
differences in health-related behaviors among black, Hispanic, and white
youth in the United States:
 Health Risks and Disparities Experienced by Black Youth
 Health Risks and Disparities Experienced by Hispanic Youth
The reports give demographic profiles for blacks and
Hispanics in the U.S. and outline important health and
behavioral differences among adolescents in the
following areas: 1) injury, violence, and suicide attempts;
2) sexual risk behaviors, such as condom use, number of
partners, and age of first sexual intercourse; 3) alcohol
and other drug use; 4) obesity and unhealthy dietary
behaviors; 5) physical activity; and 6) tobacco use.
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4. Imhotep Virtual Medical School Marc Imhotep Cray, M.D.
CDC's Division of Adolescent Health also suggest actions that public
health and education professionals can take to address disparities among
students, including
 Focusing programmatic efforts to address the needs of youth in high
risk groups.
 Raising awareness about the causes of disparities and about
evidence-based strategies for addressing them.
 Building partnerships to address the root causes of health and
educational disparities.
 Documenting the impact of health disparities, as well as the impact
of efforts to reduce them.
More Information

 Healthy Youth: Health Disparities
 "Addressing Disparities" brochure (CDC's Division of Adolescent
and School Health) ( 1.37MB, 4 pages) Tab Order Issue
 Health Risk Behaviors By Race/Ethnicity—National YRBS: 2007 (
1MB, 4 pages)
 HIV-Related Risk Behaviors Among African American Youth (
259KB, 5 pages)
If you are in High School and considering a Career in Medicine then check out
Imhotep Virtual Medical School
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