Menu Close

Articles on Health disparities

Displaying 1 - 20 of 108 articles

School meal waivers that started with the COVID-19 pandemic stopped with the end of the public health emergency. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Free school meals for all may reduce childhood obesity, while easing financial and logistical burdens for families and schools

Since nutrition standards were strengthened in 2010, eating at school provides many students with healthier food than is available cheaply elsewhere. Plus, reducing stigma increases the number of kids getting fed.
Coping with everyday affronts comes at a cost and requires a certain level of emotional suppression. RyanJLane/E+ via Getty Images

Racism produces subtle brain changes that lead to increased disease risk in Black populations

Racial threats and slights take a toll on health, but the continual invalidation and questioning of whether those so-called microaggressions exist has an even more insidious effect, research shows.
Access to life-saving HIV prevention medications varies by race and other sociodemographic factors. David Talukdar/Moment via Getty Images

Who is still getting HIV in America? Medication is only half the fight – homing in on disparities can help get care to those who need it most

Two-thirds of new HIV infections are among gay and bisexual men. Although cases have decreased among white men, they have stagnated among communities of color.
Regular testing for HIV protects you and those around you. pixinoo/iStock via Getty Images Plus

HIV self-test kits are meant to empower those at risk − but they don’t necessarily lead to starting HIV treatment or prevention

Many people at heightened risk for HIV have never been tested. Those who have self-tested for HIV often don’t go on to receive care or change their sexual behavior.
LGBTQ+ caregivers from racial minorities reported experiencing poorer family quality of life and higher depressive symptoms. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images

LGBTQ+ caregivers of people with dementia face unique stresses that lead to poorer physical and mental health

Discrimination, isolation and stigma related to sexual orientation or gender identity likely contribute to the higher rates of depression and lower quality of life of LGBTQ+ caregivers.
Maternal death rates are higher in the U.S. than in other high-income countries. Tetra Images/Getty Images

Risk of death related to pregnancy and childbirth more than doubled between 1999 and 2019 in the US, new study finds

Black women died during or soon after pregnancy at higher rates than any other racial group in every year from 1999 to 2019. American Indian and Alaska Native women had the greatest increase in risk during this period.
Research reveals what generations of tribes know firsthand: that forced assimilation and unhealthy conditions at compulsory boarding schools takes a permanent toll. RichLegg/E+ via Getty Images

American Indians forced to attend boarding schools as children are more likely to be in poor health as adults

Native Americans sent to government-funded schools now experience significantly higher rates of mental and physical health problems than those who did not.
An increasing number of health care decisions rely on information from algorithms. Tom Werner/Digital Vision via Getty Images

Including race in clinical algorithms can both reduce and increase health inequities – it depends on what doctors use them for

Biased algorithms in health care can lead to inaccurate diagnoses and delayed treatment. Deciding which variables to include to achieve fair health outcomes depends on how you approach fairness.
DNA editing has the capacity to treat many diseases, but how to do this safely and equitably remains unclear. KTSDESIGN/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Human genome editing offers tantalizing possibilities – but without clear guidelines, many ethical questions still remain

Following the controversial births of the first gene-edited babies, a major focus of the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing was responsible use of CRISPR.
Epigenetics is but one of many factors that influence aging, health and disease. bestdesigns/iStock via Getty Images

Epigenetic and social factors both predict aging and health – but new research suggests one might be stronger

People don’t all age at the same rate. Untangling the factors that influence health and disease – such as epigenetics, demographics and behavior – could lead to better care for those who need it most.

Top contributors

More