Health is a very broad category and difficult to measure comprehensively, but across most metrics a clear pattern emerges: racial and ethnic minorities consistently suffer from worse health outcomes, and this also represents itself as health disparities in minority home care. The factors that affect health outcomes in this way are called the social determinants of health (SDOH), defined by the US Department of Health and Human Services as “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.”
Many negative SDOHs affect minority communities disproportionately, such as food insecurity and education and housing inequality.
From The US Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health: “…food insecurity has been associated with a 15% increased risk of having a chronic illness, twice the odds of having mental health issues in mothers and behavioral issues in children, and 58% increased risk of death from any cause.”
Minority borrowers suffer an increased likelihood of mortgage rejection and higher mortgage rates and fees, which directly impacts the area and condition of the places they live. Lower-income housing is often disproportionately exposed to transportation and industrial pollution, which can add additional health burdens.
Education (also impacted by the area in which you live) is a critical component to making informed decisions about health and medical treatment, not to mention finding jobs that provide enough pay for adequate health care. According to the National Institutes of Health, inequalities in education have actually caused health and longevity to deteriorate over time among those with less education, exacerbating the already widening health gap between economic and racial groups.
As these SDOHs and the ways they interact are studied further, we aim to do our best to provide health education, support, and culturally competent healthcare to all who need it. This April, we celebrate National Minority Health Month, raise minority health awareness, improve health equity for seniors of all cultures, and look forward to a brighter, healthier future for everyone.
