Health Disparities News and Research

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Health disparities (also called healthcare inequality in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic groups.

COVID-19 pandemic impacts mental, physical health of people with obesity

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on people with obesity as they struggle to manage their weight and mental health during shelter-in-place orders, according to research led by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and UT Southwestern.

10 Jun 2020

Smoking more than doubles the risk of stroke in African Americans

Current cigarette smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day are associated with more than twice the risk for all stroke - ischemic and hemorrhagic - among African Americans compared to nonsmokers, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Jun 2020

Study: Cigarette smoking can increase the risk of stroke in African Americans

African Americans who smoke are nearly 2.5 times more likely to have a stroke than those who never smoked, while former smokers show a similarly lower risk as never smokers, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

10 Jun 2020

Study estimates health and economic impacts of the national menu calorie labeling law

The national law requiring chain restaurants to include calorie labels on menus is estimated to prevent tens of thousands of new heart disease and type 2 diabetes cases--and save thousands of lives--in just five years, according to a new study estimating the law's impact.

9 Jun 2020

Health disparities negatively impact various groups of people

Certain illnesses and diseases have the ability to affect various groups of people in detrimental ways.

8 Jun 2020

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Protests and the pandemic

Following the death of George Floyd while in custody in Minneapolis, protests have mushroomed around the U.S. to decry police violence, raising concerns among public health officials about the potential for further spread of the coronavirus.

4 Jun 2020

New mobile app can help the severity of COVID-19 cases

A new mobile app can help clinicians determine which patients with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are likely to have severe cases.

4 Jun 2020

Report illuminates health and socioeconomic disparities in the District of Columbia

Approximately three quarters of the deaths associated with COVID-19 in the nation's capital have been among the African American community.

2 Jun 2020

Montefiore and Einstein evaluate a new drug combination to fight COVID-19

Montefiore Health System Albert Einstein College of Medicine have begun the next stage of the Adaptive COVID-19 Treatment Trial (ACTT), to evaluate treatment options for people hospitalized with severe COVID-19 infection.

26 May 2020

APA survey: High stress related to coronavirus is the new normal for many parents

Nearly half of parents of children under age 18 say their stress levels related to the coronavirus pandemic are high, with managing their kids' online learning a significant source of stress for many, according to a new survey by the American Psychological Association.

21 May 2020

Pandemic likely to cause lasting physical and mental health consequences, study finds

The coronavirus pandemic's life-altering effects are likely to result in lasting physical and mental health consequences for many people--particularly those from vulnerable populations--a new study led by the Yale School of Public Health finds.

20 May 2020

Exposure to fine particulate matter can increase mortality in young patients with certain cancers

An analysis of nearly 16,000 young patients with cancer in Utah revealed that exposure to fine particulate matter was associated with increased mortality at five and 10 years after diagnosis of certain cancers.

13 May 2020

COVID-19 has magnified health disparities among vulnerable population

The impact of COVID-19 on underserved and vulnerable populations, including persons of color, is addressed in a new roundtable discussion in Health Equity, a peer-reviewed open access journal.

12 May 2020

Millions stuck at home with no plumbing, kitchen or space to stay safe

In nearly half a million American homes, washing hands to prevent COVID-19 isn't as simple as soaping up and singing "Happy Birthday" twice while scrubbing.

12 May 2020

Study shows how air pollution makes COVID-19 mortality worse for marginalized populations

As scientists worldwide race to gather data about the novel coronavirus, one of the more surprising findings has been detecting the virus attached to fine particles of air pollution.

8 May 2020

Excluding children from COVID-19 clinical trials may limit their treatment options

A new viewpoint article from Harvard Medical School, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, discusses the hesitancy to include children in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical trials, potentially diminishing their therapeutic options in the long run.

7 May 2020

Cancer patients with COVID-19 more likely to die from the disease

People with cancer who develop COVID-19 are much more likely to die from the disease than those without cancer, according to physician-researchers at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

2 May 2020

American Lung Association responds to higher rates of COVID-19 impacts among minorities

In response to emerging data showing higher rates of COVID-19 impacts among minorities, American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer shared the following statement.

30 Apr 2020

Low levels of vitamin D may be linked to severe COVID-19

A new observational study from the United States indicates that vitamin D insufficiency may play a significant role in the progression of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The research titled 'Vitamin D Insufficiency is Prevalent in Severe COVID-19' is available on the preprint server medRxiv.Study shows that low levels of vitamin D may be linked to severe COVID-19

29 Apr 2020

COVID-19: Discrimination and inequality shape risk of severe illness and death

Underlying conditions that increase risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 are much more common among Black, Native American, and lower-income people in the United States.

28 Apr 2020

Health Disparities News and Research

Further Reading

COVID-19 pandemic impacts mental, physical health of people with obesity

Smoking more than doubles the risk of stroke in African Americans

Study: Cigarette smoking can increase the risk of stroke in African Americans

Study estimates health and economic impacts of the national menu calorie labeling law

Health disparities negatively impact various groups of people

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Protests and the pandemic

New mobile app can help the severity of COVID-19 cases

Report illuminates health and socioeconomic disparities in the District of Columbia

Montefiore and Einstein evaluate a new drug combination to fight COVID-19

APA survey: High stress related to coronavirus is the new normal for many parents

Pandemic likely to cause lasting physical and mental health consequences, study finds

Exposure to fine particulate matter can increase mortality in young patients with certain cancers

COVID-19 has magnified health disparities among vulnerable population

Millions stuck at home with no plumbing, kitchen or space to stay safe

Study shows how air pollution makes COVID-19 mortality worse for marginalized populations

Excluding children from COVID-19 clinical trials may limit their treatment options

Cancer patients with COVID-19 more likely to die from the disease

American Lung Association responds to higher rates of COVID-19 impacts among minorities

Low levels of vitamin D may be linked to severe COVID-19

COVID-19: Discrimination and inequality shape risk of severe illness and death

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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