Health Disparities in Overweight and Obesity

What are Health Care Disparities?

"Disparities in healthcare are racial or ethnic differences in the quality of healthcare that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences, and appropriateness of intervention." (Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care (2003). DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 83-1232. Washington, DC. p4.)

Overweight and obesity affect Americans across all age, gender and racial/ethnic groups.  However, some groups are more likely to be overweight or obese, including:(1)

• African Americans
• Non-white Hispanics
• Native Americans
• Women within minority populations
• Low-income minority populations

To view overweight and obesity charts based on age, gender and race, visit American Obesity Association: Obesity in Minority Populations

Read more about health disparities in other chronic diseases among minority populations from CDC.

People with Disabilities

CDC State-specific Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults with Disabilities – Eight States and the District of Columbia: 1998-1999. 

American Obesity Association: Disability Due to Obesity 

Rand Corporation

• Sturm R, Ringle J, and Andreyeva T.  Could the “obesity epidemic” noticeably alter the trend in declining disability among the elderly? PowerPoint presentation at the Academy Health Annual Meeting, Nashville, 2003
• Obesity and Disability: The Shape of Things to Come

FindLaw, Tydings and Rosenberg, Is Obesity a Disability? Site can also be used to find case law and other briefs.

Children with Special Health Care Needs

Children with special health care needs are often at greater risk for overweight and obesity and associated medical conditions.

USDHHS National Initiative on Physical Fitness for Children and Youth with Disabilities

Bridges4Kids: Disability Information Obesity

Hanevold C, Waller J, Daniels S, Portman R and Sorof J. The effects of obesity, gender and ethnic group on left ventricular hypertrophy and geometry in hypertensive children: a collaborative study of the international pediatric hypertension association. Pediatrics: 113(2) February 2004, 328-333. 

Additional Resources

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

• National Report on Health Care Disparities 
• Evidence-based Report: Strategies for Improving Minority Healthcare Quality
• Translating Research Into Practice: Highlighting Obesity Health Disparity Reduction.  A conference held in July 18-20, 2005 in Washington, D.C. Check back later for the proceedings and conference report
• Disparities in Health Care initiative
• Addressing Health Care Disparities: A Workshop for Senior State Policy Makers
• Strategies to Reduce Health Disparities: A Workshop for State, Local and Tribal Policy Makers
• Excellence Centers to Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities (EXCEED): provides information on AHRQ funded research centers addressing health disparities and minority health.

Surgeon General’s Call to Action: Preventing Overweight and Obesity. Fact Sheet

CDC REACH 2010 Surveillance of Health Status in Minority Communities, 2001-2002.

Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion: A Primer on Health Disparities

Consumer Health Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to the inclusion of consumers in health care; based in Southwest Pennsylvania

Obesity Law and Advocacy Center

Read more on Health Disparities within this site

Sources:

(1) American Obesity Association: Obesity in Minority Populations

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Page last updated: 10/02/2006

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