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Health Disparities
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State Asthma
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The Washington State Asthma
Plan focuses on asthma as a public health issue designed to address asthma as a
pertinent health issue for all parts of society, regardless of socioeconomic
needs or race/ethnicity. However, there are subgroups of the population in
Washington State that experience disparities in asthma rates and access to
treatment.
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Health Disparities
Describe the disproportionate burden of disease, disability and
death among a particular population or group when compared to the
proportion of the population.
-WA State Board of Health
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Reducing health disparities has been identified as a priority at national and
local levels. In 1998, President Clinton established goals for eliminating
health status disparities of racial and ethnic minorities by 2010 though the
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Initiative. In 2000, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention called for the elimination of the
disproportionate burden of asthma in minority populations and those living in
poverty. At the local level, the Washington State Board of Health and the
Department of Health have designated health disparities as a health priority for
Washington State.
The US Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2010 set national
health goals for increasing the quality and years of healthy life and
eliminating health disparities. Healthy People 2010 defines disparities as
differences in disease prevalence, access to care or outcomes by gender,
socioeconomic position, geographic location, disability status, and/or sexual
orientation.
Poverty and education are important determinants of health status and
disparities in income and education among sub-groups of the population are
reflected in health disparities. An increased understanding of the human genome,
leads most scientists to conclude that race as not a valid biological construct.
Rather, race and ethnic groups should be viewed as capturing the effects of
complex social, cultural, economic and political factors on human health.
Studies on health disparities have pointed to a variety of risk factors that are
believed to contribute to health disparities.
These include:
Other contextual factors (e.g.,
different levels of insurance coverage and access to high-quality networks of
preventive and primary care) play important roles in creating health status
disparities.
More information is available in our state plan. Click on the link
below to view the Asthma Disparities chapter.
Click here for Asthma Disparities -
State Plan (176 KB - MS Word)
Other Resources:
Washington State Board of
Health Report on Disparities and Environmental Justice
Asthma
Management Plans in Other Languages
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
American Lung Association Report Addresses Lung Health Disparities
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External
Links:
Washington Asthma Initiative
Centers for Disease Control - Asthma
Environmental Protection Agency
National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health
Internal Links:
Washington State Asthma Plan
Washington State Burden
of Asthma Report
Asthma Fact Sheet
Related Links:
Tobacco Prevention and Control
Other CFH Programs
Environmental Health
Programs |
