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.

Dr. Hayre warns of mental health crisis for children after COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic deepened existing health disparities and thrust children into a mental health epidemic, altering the landscape of health and wellbeing for a generation.

16 Apr 2025

Do disasters delay early cancer diagnoses?

Rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses dropped during and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, according to a recent analysis. However, late-stage diagnoses eventually exceeded expectations, suggesting that limited access to cancer screening services due to these disasters likely hindered timely CRC diagnoses. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

15 Apr 2025

Limited health care access during disasters may hinder timely colorectal cancer diagnoses

Rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses dropped during and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, according to a recent analysis.

14 Apr 2025

Who really decides what Australians eat? New study reveals financial sector’s hidden power

A new study explores how financial and non-financial actors shape food system investments in Australia, revealing who holds the power to promote—or prevent—healthier food environments. It introduces “profit-plus investing” as a potential tool for aligning finance with public health.

13 Apr 2025

HPV vaccine uptake rises with help from AI chatbot

The first trial of an AI (Artificial Intelligence)-powered chatbot designed to inform parents about the HPV vaccine has shown that it increases vaccine uptake and engagement with health professionals.

11 Apr 2025

Slashed federal funding cancels vaccine clinics amid measles surge

More than a dozen vaccination clinics were canceled in Pima County, Arizona.

9 Apr 2025

Understanding the origins of health disparities through historical data

Over the past century, health inequalities have shifted from being driven mainly by infectious diseases, poor sanitation, and hazardous working conditions to being shaped by chronic diseases, lifestyle factors, and unequal access to modern healthcare.

7 Apr 2025

Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures: A Conversation with WHO’s Dr. Allotey

Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions.

7 Apr 2025

Vegetarian diets may hinder healthy aging—unless diet quality is high

Older Chinese adults who followed vegetarian diets were less likely to reach age 80 in good health. However, this disadvantage disappeared for those consuming high-quality plant-based diets.

2 Apr 2025

Pandemic disruptions linked to lower TB diagnoses in prisons worldwide

A new study found that reported diagnoses for tuberculosis were consistently lower than expected throughout the pandemic, even though incarceration rates remained largely consistent and TB detection among the general population managed to reverse after an early-pandemic decline.

1 Apr 2025

Study reveals disparities in healthcare utilization among racial and ethnic groups with IBD

A study published today in the American Journal of Gastroenterology reveals significant disparities in healthcare utilization among racial and ethnic groups with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the United States.

1 Apr 2025

Gender affirming hormone therapy reduces HIV risk for transgender people

Transgender people receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy have a 37% lower chance of acquiring HIV, and for people living with HIV, hormone therapy appears to offer a 44% lower chance of the virus remaining detectable in blood, according to a University of Michigan study.

27 Mar 2025

The impact of ending U.S.-funded global vaccine programs

Abram Wagner, assistant professor of epidemiology and global public health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, discusses implications of the U.S. potentially ending global vaccine programs.

27 Mar 2025

Electronic cigarettes may pose lower cardiovascular risks for people with HIV

Electronic cigarettes use may pose lower cardiovascular risks in people living with HIV compared to tobacco cigarette use, new UCLA-led research shows.

19 Mar 2025

Tribal health leaders say Medicaid cuts would decimate health programs

As Congress mulls potentially massive cuts to federal Medicaid funding, health centers that serve Native American communities, such as the Oneida Community Health Center near Green Bay, Wisconsin, are bracing for catastrophe.

19 Mar 2025

Gender gaps in peripheral vascular disease impact diagnosis and treatment

The disparities between men and women in prevalence, risk factors and symptoms of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) have a profound impact on prevention, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for women, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Association's flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

11 Mar 2025

Neighborhood factors shape rehabilitation access for older adults with TBI

Contextual social determinants of health (SDoH) – for example, rural residence and neighborhood economic factors – may affect access to community-based rehabilitation services for older adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI), suggests a study in the March/April issue of Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR).

10 Mar 2025

Study reveals growing divide in cardiovascular health in the U.S.

A study published March 6 in The Lancet Regional Health - Americas highlights a growing divide in cardiovascular health in the U.S., showing that wealth and education play a significant role in heart disease risk.

8 Mar 2025

Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian and Asian American populations show varying heart disease risk factors

Asian American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations experienced differences in both cardiovascular disease predicted risk and risk factors, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025.

6 Mar 2025

Psychosocial stress during pregnancy may raise blood pressure after birth

Psychosocial stress during pregnancy could lead to higher blood pressure during the first year postpartum according to research from Keck School of Medicine of USC.

5 Mar 2025