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Black Issues Forum 2003

Health Issues Affecting the Black Community

Background Statistics | Keywords | Books | Articles | Web Sites

Presentation Format

checkmark Background Statistics

The following statistics are taken from a report called Disease Burden and Risk Factors that is published by the CDC's Office of Minority Health. The entire report can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/omh/AMH/dbrf.htm
  • African American women are more than twice as likely to die of cervical cancer than are white women and are more likely to die of breast cancer than are women of any other racial or ethnic group.
  • Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death for all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. In 2000, rates of death from diseases of the heart were 29 percent higher among African American adults than among white adults, and death rates from stroke were 40 percent higher.
  • In 2000, American Indians and Alaska Natives were 2.6 times more likely to have diagnosed diabetes compared with non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans were 2.0 times more likely, and Hispanics were 1.9 times more likely.
  • Although African Americans and Hispanics represented only 26 percent of the U.S. population in 2001, they accounted for 66 percent of adult AIDS cases and 82 percent of pediatric AIDS cases reported in the first half of that year.
  • In 2001, Hispanics and African Americans aged 65 and older were less likely than Non-Hispanic Whites to report having received influenza and pneumococcal vaccines.
  • Some fundamental societal problems, such as poverty, inadequate access to health care, and lack of education are associated with disproportionately high levels of syphilis in certain populations. Cases of primary and secondary syphilis in 1999 had the following race or ethnicity distribution: African Americans 75 percent, whites 16 percent, Hispanics eight percent, and others one percent. Syphilis reflects one of the most glaring examples of racial disparity in health status, with the rate for African Americans nearly 30 times the rate for whites.

checkmarkKeywords/Subjects

Use these keywords to search in databases or in the Sage library catalog.
Choose One:
  • African Americans
  • Afro-Americans
  • Blacks
  • race
  • ethnicity
  • minorities
  • other keyword - your choice
 AND Choose One:
  • health
  • health care
  • medical care
  • discrimination and medical care
  • disparity and medical care
  • cancer
  • breast cancer
  • heart disease
  • hypertension
  • diabetes
  • stroke
  • syphilis
  • AIDS
  • vaccines
  • other keyword - your choice

Examples:

  • African American and health care
  • African American and diabetes
  • race and discrimination and medical care

checkmarkBooks - Search in Sage Library Catalog for books

  • Sage Library Catalog
  • Many relevants books have already been pulled from the shelves and are available in the library computer labs. These books need to stay in the labs.

checkmarkArticles - Search in Databases for journal, magazine, newspaper articles

Search Tips:

  • Try different keywords. Some databases use the term blacks, while others may use African American or Afro-American. Try both general keywords like health or health services, as well as specific diseases such as cancer or high blood pressure.
  • indicates a "full text" database - most or all of the articles in these databases will be available online - no need to make photocopies!
  • Please ask if you aren't finding what you're looking for! There are many other databases available.

checkmarkWeb Sites

  • http://www.blackhealthcare.com/BHC/IndexV1.asp
    Addresses many specific diseases and issues facing African Americans. On the left side of the home page is a link: "The Problem" which leads to several comparison charts from the National Center for Health Statistics.
     
  • http://www.omhrc.gov/
    The Office of Minority Health from the Department of Health and Human Services. Includes statistical data.
     
  • http://www.omsa.uiuc.edu/clearinghouse/african/african.html
    From the University of Illinois - African American Health Issues. Site includes links to an online medical dictionary and resources on specific diseases.
     
  • http://blackwomenshealth.org/site/PageServer
    This site has resources dealing with women's health issues such as smoking, pregnancy, and knowing your family health history. Also includes links to web casts and transcripts from the National Colloquium on Black Women's Health held on April 11, 2003. Session topics include Health Care Access and Unequal Care.
     
  • http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/caas/diaspora/research_topics/health.htm
    Historical perspective on health issues across several centuries, from the Cultural Studies in the African Diaspora Project at UCLA.
     
  • http://www.hpolicy.duke.edu/cyberexchange/Access/Paaccess.htm
    From Duke University. Many links to resources regarding barriers to health care access.
     
  • http://www.healthynj.org/dis-con/sickle/medline.htm
    These pages deal specifically with Sickle Cell Anemia.
     
  • http://medlineplus.gov/
    A vast amount of general to specific medical information can be accessed at this web site. Search for "African American Health" (or other keywords such as "high blood pressure".)
     
  • http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press03122002.html
    Article discusses statistics regarding health care disparities among minority groups.
     
  • http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/stats.htm
    HIV/AIDS statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. 

Content: Judy Mitchell, Allison Level, Michelle Wilde & Michelle Mach