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Health Equity: Home

Health Equity

Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to “attain their full health potential” and no one is “disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances. Addressing social determinants of health is a primary approach to achieving health equity'. -- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Defintions

Health disparity: A higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality experienced by one population group relative to another group.

Health care disparity: Differences between groups in health insurance coverage, access to and use of care, and quality of care.

Health inequality: used more often in scientific literature to describe differences associated with specific attributes such as income, or race.

Health inequity: implies that a difference is unfair or unethical

Health and health care disparities are all around. Disparities can include:

  • geographic location (urban, rural)
  • race, ethnicity
  • age, gender
  • language
  • cultural perceptions
  • religion
  • access to health care
  • insurance, ability to pay
  • education, income
  • sexual identity, orientation
  • disability status

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