MPH502 - Introduction to Public Health Module 4 - Case - Essay Example

MPH502 - Introduction to Public Health Module 4 - Case Healthy People Defining Health Disparities The concept of health disparities is to define the differing health outcomes that indicate distinct incidences, prevalence, mortality rates, disease prevalence and other medical consequences of difference population groups. The population grouping in the context of health disparities may be on the basis of age, gender, race, social status, educational level, sex orientation, and ethnicity and so on.

Health Indicators:In order to understand the health indicators of various ethnic and racial groups, it is informative to look into the records about their health conditions within a particular state or region. Health indicators involve a careful analysis of mortality and morbidity rates of various groups (ethnic, racial or others), their life expectancy, standards of life, birth rates, records of prevalence of specific diseases, information about the access of a particular group to medical and health facilities, financial backgrounds of groups, educational standards and so on.

Causes of Health Disparities:The health disparities that exist between various groups are mainly the result of genetic variations, environmental factors and specific health behaviors. These are the most influential and useful indicators of health disparities that prevail in the ethnic and racial groups in the US. The causes of these differences also involve the lack of healthcare facilities available to a particular group, discrimination on the basis of gender, race, financial and social grounds etc.

inadequate knowledge and educations, environmental differences and other reasons of this type. Managing Health Disparities:The diverse population of the United States requires careful attention to be managed properly when it comes to such delicate matters as health and life. In order to improve the health conditions, it is important to eliminate the health disparities that exist. Some ways are to utilize the information of death rates of groups and improve policies in order to eliminate the factors that are causing deaths in that particular group.

Moreover, the accessibility to healthcare facilities must be available to all groups regardless of their racial, religious and cultural differences. Education is a must to improve the long term conditions of health for such a diverse population. Hence, educational facilities and their availability with proper guidance to the parents and students is also a factor to consider. There are certain environmental factors which are leading to adverse health outcomes in certain racial and ethnic groups.

These environmental issues (both physical and social) are difficult to be handled but require policies to improve it to the extent that they are manageable. Interventions and health policies may play a vital role in reducing the health risking factors. Moreover, informative programs like five-a-day and others may help in educating people about nutritional requirements of their body.