what are health disparities

Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. These disparities are not new and reflect longstanding structural and systemic inequities rooted in racism and discrimination. Health and health care disparities refer to differences in health and health care between groups that stem from broader inequities. Some key factors that contribute to health disparities include poverty, environmental threats, inadequate access to health care, individual and behavioral factors, and educational inequalities. Health disparities can stem from health inequities—systematic differences in the health of groups and communities occupying unequal positions in society that are avoidable and unjust. Health disparities are inequitable, even when we do not know the causes, because they put an already economically/socially disadvantaged group at further disadvantage. Addressing social determinants of health can help improve health risks and reduce disparities and inequities.