Fighting for Health Equity Year ‘Round: National Minority
Health Month
By Armin Brott
Guest Column
April is
National Minority Health Month, making it the perfect time
to focus on the often-significant disparities in health and
wellbeing that affect racial and ethnic minorities across
our country. But it’s important to remember that these
inequities exist every single day of the year, not just in
April.
What do
we mean by “disparities” and “inequities”? Well, according
to the Commonwealth Fund, compared with the general
population, members of racial and ethnic minorities are less
likely to receive preventive health services and often
receive lower-quality care. They also have worse health
outcomes for certain conditions.”
Here are
just a few examples. Black Americans are more likely than
the general population to have hypertension (high blood
pressure) or asthma, to be overweight or obese, and to
develop cancer. They’re also less likely to have health
insurance, which means that they’re less likely to get the
treatment they need to improve their health. Similarly,
Hispanic Americans and American Indians and Alaska Natives
are more likely than the general population to have diabetes
and hypertension, but less likely to have insurance.
And let’s
not overlook the health issue that’s been on everyone’s mind
for the past 13 months: COVID-19, which has killed more than
550,000 Americans. But COVID hasn’t affected all communities
equally. While one in 1,040 Asian Americans and one in 665
White Americans has died from the virus, one in 565 Pacific
Islander Americans, one in 555 Black Americans, and one in
390 Indigenous Americans have died, according to APM
Research Lab’s “Color of Coronavirus” project, which tracks
the differences in how COVID-19 affects different
communities. Put another way, Indigenous, Black, and Pacific
Islander Americans are more than twice as likely as the
general public to die from COVID.
What
causes these disproportionate outcomes from COVID-19 and
other causes? Certainly, access to healthcare (which is in
part driven by whether one has health insurance or not)
plays a role. But so do poverty, lack of education,
unemployment, housing problems, unsafe neighborhoods,
shortage of playgrounds and full-service supermarkets (where
people can buy healthy food). and other factors. The
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has
funded more than
100
studies related to these and other disparities.
As we
focus on the disparities in healthcare experienced by many
minorities, Men’s Health Network (MHN) points out one
minority that’s often overlooked: males. While there’s no
question that certain ethnic and racial groups do better,
health-wise, than others, there’s also no question that
within every one of those ethnic and racial groups, boys
and men do far worse than girls and women.
For
example, on average (counting all racial and ethnic groups),
women’s life expectancy is a bit over 81 years; men’s is
just 76. Among African and Native Americans, women’s life
expectancy is over 78 years, while men’s is around 72.
Focusing
just on COVID-19, According to GlobalHealth5050.org, men are
less likely than women to be tested, to test positive, and
be vaccinated, but they’re more likely than women to
require hospitalization and admission to intensive care
units (ICUs), and to die. This is true in nearly every age
group.
The good
news is that many communities around the country are trying
to address some of these inequities by doing special
outreach—and making vaccines available—to those minority
communities that are disproportionately affected by COVID.
The bad news is that boys and men—who are more severely
affected than females—aren’t given priority.
To
celebrate National Minority Health Month, we urge you to let
your elected officials know about the health
inequities—including the ones that disproportionately affect
men—that exist in nearly every community in this country.
But you can’t just wait around for everyone else to act,
which is why MHN urges you and your family to take the first
step: try to get more exercise, eat more fresh fruits and
veggies, cut back on red meat, limit your alcohol, and quit
smoking. And if you’re male, pick up the phone and make an
appointment for a complete physical. At the same time, as
long as COVID is an issue, wear your mask when you go out,
wash your hands, and get vaccinated. The life you save may
be your own.
Armin
Brott
Armin
Brott is the author of “Blueprint for Men’s Health,” “Your
Head: An Owner’s Manual,” and other works on men’s health.
You can find him at MrDad.com and HealthyMenToday.com
Men’s
Health Network (MHN)
MHN is an
international non-profit organization whose mission is to
reach men, boys, and their families where they live, work,
play, and pray with health awareness messages and tools,
screening programs, educational materials, advocacy
opportunities, and patient navigation. For information on
MHN's programs and activities, visit them at
menshealthnetwork.org,
on Twitter (@MensHlthNetwork), and on Facebook (facebook.com/menshealthnetwork),
or call 202-543-6461.
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