According to the Office of Minority Health (OMH), poor health outcomes for minority groups, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, are evident when comparing their health indicators against those of the rest of the U.S. population.[1]  Minority populations in this country experience higher rates of illness and death from heart disease, stroke, specific cancers, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, asthma, hepatitis B, and overweight and obesity.[2] 

April is National Minority Health Month, raising awareness around the health disparities that continue to affect racial and ethnic minorities in this country.  National Minority Health Month also helps to bring attention to the important work being done to reduce health disparities and advance health equity.

In celebration of National Minority Health Month, the PHMC Center for Data Innovation and the Community Health Data Base (CHDB) are highlighting data from the 2012 Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Household Health Survey on the health of racial/ethnic minority groups in the region.  The SEPA Household Health Survey is administered by telephone in more than 10,000 households in the region, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.  Every two years, this survey collects key health information on SEPA residents to support health programs across the five county area.

This article examines key indicators for adults 18 years or older in the region who identify as Black, Latino, and Asian.[3]  These indicators include health status and chronic diseases, along with access and barriers to healthcare.

Regional Landscape

According to the 2010 US Census, nearly two-thirds of SEPA residents identify as White (64%), more than one-fifth identify as Black (22%), 7% identify as Hispanic or Latino, 5% identify as Asian, and 2% identify as an other race or two or more races.[4]

When looking at 2012 Household Health Survey data, it is evident that minority groups in the region continue to experience a number of health disparities.

Health Status and Chronic Conditions

Health disparities exist when looking at the health status of minority groups in SEPA.  In comparison to White and Asian adults in the region, Black and Latino adults are more likely to be in fair or poor health, have been diagnosed with asthma, and have been diagnosed with diabetes. 

• More than one-quarter of Latino adults (27%) and one-quarter of Black adults (25%) are in fair or poor health compared to 12% of White adults 8% of Asian adults.
• Approximately one-fifth of Latino and Black adults (21% and 20% respectively), 15% of White adults, and 8% of Asian adults have been diagnosed with asthma. (Figure 1)
• One-fifth of Black adults have been diagnosed with diabetes (20%), as have 15% of Latino adults, 11% of Asian adults, and 10% of White adults. (Figure 1)

Access and Barriers to Care

Minority residents also experience barriers to accessing healthcare.  Latino and Asian adults are less likely to have a regular source of care compared to White and Black adults.  In addition, Black and Latino adults are nearly twice as likely to have visited the ER in the past year and more than three times as likely to have missed a needed doctor’s appointment due to transportation problems compared to White and Asian adults.  Black, Latino, and Asian adults are also more likely to be uninsured in comparison to White adults.

Obesity, Smoking, and Mental Health

In addition, obesity, smoking, and mental health are important health indicators to examine when looking at the health of minority populations.  Black and Latino adults are more likely to be obese and are more likely to smoke compared to White and Asian adults.

 Four in ten Black adults (40%) and three in ten Latino adults (33%) are obese compared to one-quarter of White adults (25%) and 8% of Asian adults.

·         One-quarter of Black adults currently smoke (25%), followed by 22% of Latino adults, 16% of White adults, and one tenth of Asian adults (10%).

·         More than two in ten Latino adults have been diagnosed with a mental health condition (22%); 17% of Black adults, 16% of White adults, and 7% of Asian adults have been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Conclusion

When looking these indicators, a number of health disparities become evident.  Specifically, Black and Latino adults are more likely to be in fair or poor health, suffer from chronic conditions, and experience barriers to care.  Additional disparities become apparent when examining these health indicators and demographic variables.  Many of these health indicators are closely tied to educational attainment, employment status and poverty status.  In many cases, as educational attainment increases, the likelihood of these individuals suffering from chronic conditions or experiencing barriers to care decreases.  Similarly, individuals who are employed and live at or above 100% of the Federal Poverty Level experience fewer negative health outcomes.

It is essential to utilize these data to help improve health and health care outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities in the Southeastern Pennsylvania region.

For more information about these findings, please contact Sarah Ingerman at singerman@phmc.org.