Hlth Disparities & Inequities

Catalog description

This course is designed for students who intend to practice public health in the United States. Health disparities are approached utilizing the World Health Organization (WHO) definition as differences in the overall rates of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality or survival rates that are avoidable and unjust. A comprehensive view is taken with examination of differential health outcomes in the multiple areas where health disparities exist in the United States context: across ethnic/racial groups, geographic residence, gender, age, disability, and sexual orientation status. A health equity perspective is utilized to understand multifactorial, root determinants of health disparities such as cultural factors, socioeconomic factors, racism/discrimination, and political factors. Emphasis is placed on practical skills and strategies to infuse across multiple programs and policies to reduce health disparities in the US.