Health disparities
54 flashcards covering Health disparities for the MCAT Chem / Phys / Psych / Soc section.
Health disparities refer to the unequal distribution of health outcomes and access to medical care among different population groups, often influenced by factors like race, socioeconomic status, gender, or geography. For example, certain communities might face higher rates of chronic diseases due to barriers such as poverty, discrimination, or limited healthcare resources. Understanding this topic is crucial because it highlights systemic issues in public health, helping future doctors address inequities and improve overall population well-being.
On the MCAT, health disparities typically appear in the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior section, with questions testing your grasp of social determinants of health, causes like environmental factors or policy, and potential interventions. Common traps include oversimplifying complex social issues or confusing correlation with causation, so focus on integrating concepts from sociology and psychology. Be prepared for passage-based questions that require analyzing data or scenarios.
A concrete tip: Always link disparities to broader social contexts when answering questions.
Terms (54)
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Health disparities
Health disparities are preventable differences in health outcomes and their determinants between groups of people, often linked to social, economic, and environmental factors.
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Social determinants of health
Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that affect health outcomes, including factors like income, education, and neighborhood environment.
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Racial health disparities
Racial health disparities refer to differences in health status and access to care between racial groups, often resulting from systemic racism and discrimination.
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Socioeconomic status and health
Socioeconomic status influences health through factors like income and education, where lower status is associated with higher rates of disease and mortality.
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Gender health disparities
Gender health disparities are differences in health outcomes between men and women, such as higher rates of certain cancers in men or reproductive health issues in women, often tied to social roles.
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Access to healthcare
Access to healthcare involves the ability to obtain necessary medical services, and barriers like cost or location contribute to disparities in health outcomes.
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Health equity
Health equity means ensuring that everyone has a fair opportunity to attain their full health potential, addressing the root causes of disparities rather than just equality.
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Minority health
Minority health focuses on the health status of racial and ethnic minority groups, highlighting higher risks for conditions like diabetes due to social and environmental factors.
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Cultural competence in healthcare
Cultural competence in healthcare is the ability of providers to effectively deliver services that meet the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of patients from diverse backgrounds.
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Implicit bias in medicine
Implicit bias in medicine refers to unconscious attitudes that affect clinical decisions, leading to disparities in treatment for patients from marginalized groups.
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Environmental factors in disparities
Environmental factors in disparities include exposure to pollution or lack of green spaces, which disproportionately affect low-income communities and worsen health outcomes.
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Health literacy
Health literacy is the degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information to make informed decisions, and low literacy contributes to disparities.
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Structural racism and health
Structural racism and health describes how policies and institutions perpetuate racial inequalities, such as redlining leading to poorer health in affected neighborhoods.
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Infant mortality disparities
Infant mortality disparities are higher death rates among infants in certain groups, like Black infants in the U.S., often due to prenatal care access and socioeconomic factors.
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Life expectancy differences
Life expectancy differences are variations in average lifespan between populations, such as shorter lifespans in low-income areas due to chronic diseases and violence.
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Chronic disease prevalence
Chronic disease prevalence refers to the higher occurrence of conditions like heart disease in disadvantaged groups, linked to diet, stress, and limited healthcare.
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Mental health disparities
Mental health disparities are inequalities in access to and quality of mental health services, with minorities often facing stigma and fewer resources.
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Food deserts and health
Food deserts and health describe areas with limited access to affordable, healthy food, leading to higher obesity rates in low-income communities.
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Stress as a disparity factor
Stress as a disparity factor involves chronic stress from discrimination or poverty, which can lead to health issues like hypertension through physiological pathways.
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Allostatic load
Allostatic load is the wear and tear on the body from repeated stress responses, contributing to health disparities in marginalized populations.
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Epigenetics in disparities
Epigenetics in disparities refers to how environmental factors alter gene expression, such as stress leading to increased disease risk in affected groups.
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Rural health disparities
Rural health disparities involve worse health outcomes in rural areas due to factors like distance to hospitals and shortage of providers.
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Urban health challenges
Urban health challenges include disparities from overcrowding, pollution, and violence, affecting low-income city residents disproportionately.
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Education and health outcomes
Education and health outcomes link higher education levels to better health, as it correlates with better jobs, healthier behaviors, and access to care.
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Insurance coverage gaps
Insurance coverage gaps are differences in health insurance access, leading to untreated conditions in uninsured populations.
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Affordable Care Act impact
The Affordable Care Act impact includes reducing disparities by expanding insurance coverage, though gaps remain for certain groups.
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Community health programs
Community health programs aim to reduce disparities by providing targeted interventions, like screenings in underserved areas.
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Policy interventions for equity
Policy interventions for equity involve government actions, such as anti-discrimination laws, to address root causes of health disparities.
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Language barriers in care
Language barriers in care prevent effective communication between providers and patients, leading to misunderstandings and poorer outcomes.
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Discrimination in healthcare settings
Discrimination in healthcare settings occurs when biases affect treatment, resulting in disparities for groups like LGBTQ+ individuals.
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Physical activity access disparities
Physical activity access disparities refer to limited safe spaces for exercise in low-income areas, contributing to higher obesity rates.
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Minority stress model
The minority stress model explains how chronic stress from stigma leads to health issues in marginalized groups, such as higher depression rates.
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Health behavior theories
Health behavior theories, like the health belief model, help explain why disparities occur due to differing perceptions of risk and benefits.
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Intersectionality in health
Intersectionality in health considers how overlapping identities, like race and gender, compound disparities in outcomes.
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Workplace health inequalities
Workplace health inequalities arise from hazardous jobs in low-income sectors, leading to higher injury rates among workers.
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Aging and disparities
Aging and disparities involve older adults in minority groups facing greater risks of isolation and inadequate care.
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Global health inequities
Global health inequities are differences in health between countries, often due to economic disparities and access to resources.
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Vaccine hesitancy disparities
Vaccine hesitancy disparities occur when mistrust or misinformation leads to lower vaccination rates in certain communities.
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Common trap: Equity vs. equality
A common trap is confusing equity, which addresses needs based on disadvantages, with equality, which treats everyone the same and may perpetuate disparities.
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Measurement of disparities
Measurement of disparities uses indicators like mortality rates to quantify inequalities and guide interventions.
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Behavioral risk factors
Behavioral risk factors, such as smoking, vary by socioeconomic status and contribute to health disparities.
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Nutritional disparities
Nutritional disparities involve differences in diet quality, with low-income groups often consuming more processed foods.
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Housing and health
Housing and health link poor living conditions, like moldy homes, to higher respiratory issues in disadvantaged populations.
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Transportation barriers
Transportation barriers prevent access to healthcare appointments, exacerbating disparities in rural or poor urban areas.
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Telehealth equity issues
Telehealth equity issues arise when lack of internet access widens disparities for low-income or rural patients.
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Example: Black maternal health
Black maternal health disparities show higher maternal mortality rates among Black women due to factors like implicit bias and limited prenatal care.
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Indigenous health challenges
Indigenous health challenges include higher rates of diabetes from historical trauma and ongoing social inequities.
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LGBTQ+ health disparities
LGBTQ+ health disparities involve higher risks of mental health disorders due to discrimination and lack of inclusive care.
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Childhood adversity and health
Childhood adversity and health link early experiences like poverty to long-term disparities in physical and mental well-being.
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Pharmacological disparities
Pharmacological disparities occur when certain groups receive inadequate medication due to cost or bias in prescribing.
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Example: COVID-19 outcomes
COVID-19 outcomes disparities showed higher death rates in minority communities due to preexisting conditions and healthcare access issues.
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Social support networks
Social support networks influence health by providing resources, and their absence in isolated groups worsens disparities.
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Genetic and environmental interplay
Genetic and environmental interplay in disparities means that genes alone don't determine health; environment amplifies risks in vulnerable populations.
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Worksite wellness programs
Worksite wellness programs can reduce disparities by offering health resources, but they often favor employees in better jobs.