Behind every health statistic lies a human story, often one of inequity, as starkly evidenced by data showing that in 2020, Non-Hispanic Black women died from pregnancy-related causes at a rate 2.6 times higher than their White counterparts, a disparity emblematic of pervasive and systemic health gaps faced by racial, ethnic, low-income, rural, gender, and disability groups across the United States.
Key Takeaways
- Non-Hispanic Black women experienced a maternal mortality rate of 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, which is 2.6 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic White women at 21.1.
- American Indian and Alaska Native adults have a diabetes prevalence rate of 13.1% compared to 7.4% for non-Hispanic White adults in 2019.
- Hispanic children are 1.5 times more likely to have obesity rates at 26.2% versus 14.6% for non-Hispanic White children aged 2-19 years in 2017-2020.
- Individuals below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) have a life expectancy 10-15 years shorter than those above 400% FPL in the US, 2019 data.
- Low-income adults (income < $25,000) report poor health at 28% vs 8% for high-income (> $75,000) in 2021.
- Children in households below poverty line have 1.7 times higher obesity rates than those above in 2019.
- Rural residents have 20% higher heart disease death rates than urban in 2021.
- Southern US states have stroke mortality 30% higher than Northeast states in 2019.
- Rural adults have obesity rates 17% higher than urban adults in 2020.
- Women have a life expectancy of 80.2 years compared to 74.8 years for men in the US 2021.
- Men have 1.5 times higher age-adjusted heart disease death rates than women in 2020.
- Women report higher rates of depression at 10.5% vs 6.2% for men in 2021.
- Adults with disabilities have obesity rates 1.5 times higher than those without in 2020.
- People with mobility disabilities smoke at 28% vs 14% without disabilities 2019.
- Disabled adults have diabetes prevalence 2x higher at 16% vs 8% non-disabled 2021.
These troubling statistics reveal stark and pervasive health disparities across racial and socioeconomic groups.
Disability Disparities
- Adults with disabilities have obesity rates 1.5 times higher than those without in 2020.
- People with mobility disabilities smoke at 28% vs 14% without disabilities 2019.
- Disabled adults have diabetes prevalence 2x higher at 16% vs 8% non-disabled 2021.
- Intellectual disability adults have 3x higher early death rates before 65 in 2018.
- Wheelchair users have 40% higher depression rates than ambulatory peers 2020.
- Disabled children have unmet dental care needs 2.5x higher in 2019.
- Adults with cognitive disabilities have stroke risk 2.2x higher 2021.
- Visual impairment doubles fall injury hospitalization rates in seniors 2020.
- Hearing loss adults have 1.4x dementia risk compared to normal hearing 2019.
- Disabled veterans have opioid use disorder 4x higher than non-disabled 2021.
- Autism spectrum adults have unemployment 85% vs 5% general population 2020.
- Spinal cord injury patients have 5x pneumonia hospitalization rates 2019.
- Intellectual disabilities correlate with 10x higher abuse victimization 2021.
- Disabled women have intimate partner violence 40% higher lifetime 2020.
- Multiple sclerosis patients have unemployment 2.5x higher post-diagnosis 2019.
- Amputees have cardiovascular disease 2x higher mortality risk 2021.
- Developmental disabilities kids have 3x bullying victimization rates 2020.
- Chronic mental illness adults have life expectancy 15-20 years shorter 2019.
- Blind adults have 30% higher social isolation scores than sighted 2021.
- Disabled rural residents have 50% less access to specialists 2020.
- Down syndrome adults have Alzheimer's onset 10-20 years earlier 2019.
- Paraplegics have pressure ulcer rates 25% higher in low-income settings 2021.
- ADHD adults have 2x higher obesity odds ratio adjusted for confounders 2020.
Disability Disparities Interpretation
This collection of statistics paints a grimly consistent picture where being disabled not only means navigating a world not built for you, but also statistically guarantees a cascade of systemic failures that aggressively worsen your health, shorten your life, and exclude you from society at nearly every turn.
Gender Disparities
- Women have a life expectancy of 80.2 years compared to 74.8 years for men in the US 2021.
- Men have 1.5 times higher age-adjusted heart disease death rates than women in 2020.
- Women report higher rates of depression at 10.5% vs 6.2% for men in 2021.
- Men account for 80% of suicide deaths despite equal ideation rates in 2020.
- Women have 1.2 times higher obesity prevalence than men aged 20+ in 2017-2020.
- Men have higher alcohol-related death rates at 14.0 vs 4.6 per 100,000 for women 2019.
- Pregnant women face opioid use disorder rates rising 4x faster than men 2019-2021.
- Women delay seeking care for heart attack symptoms 50% longer than men in 2020.
- Men have 2x higher rates of colorectal cancer mortality than women in 2021.
- Women over 65 have osteoporosis prevalence 27.1% vs 0.5% for men in 2019.
- Transgender women have HIV prevalence 14x higher than cisgender women 2020.
- Men in workforce have 10% higher burnout rates post-COVID than women 2022.
- Women have higher anxiety disorder diagnosis rates at 23.4% lifetime vs 14.3% men.
- Men account for 90% of workplace fatalities annually in US 2021.
- Women have 30% higher rates of chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia 2020.
- Postmenopausal women have 2x hip fracture risk vs age-matched men 2019.
- Men have higher lung cancer incidence due to smoking history at 85/100k vs 59/100k women 2021.
- Women report food insecurity 10% higher than men in single households 2021.
- Trans men have cervical cancer screening 20% lower than cis women 2020.
- Women veterans have PTSD rates 1.6x higher than male veterans 2019.
- Men over 50 have prostate screening adherence 15% lower than women mammograms 2022.
- Women have higher autoimmune disease prevalence, e.g., lupus 9x men 2021.
- Rural women have maternal mortality 60% higher than urban women 2020.
Gender Disparities Interpretation
It seems men are aggressively winning at dying early, while women are reluctantly excelling at living longer, sicker, and more painfully, as the system masterfully fails everyone according to their assigned roles.
Geographic Disparities
- Rural residents have 20% higher heart disease death rates than urban in 2021.
- Southern US states have stroke mortality 30% higher than Northeast states in 2019.
- Rural adults have obesity rates 17% higher than urban adults in 2020.
- Appalachian region has opioid overdose deaths 50% above national average in 2021.
- Western rural counties have suicide rates 1.8 times urban rates in 2020.
- Mississippi Delta has infant mortality 25% higher than national average 2019.
- Urban poor have asthma prevalence 40% higher than suburban in 2021.
- Alaska Natives in remote areas have 2x diabetes complication rates 2020.
- Great Plains rural areas have cancer mortality 15% higher due to late diagnosis 2019.
- Texas-Mexico border has maternal mortality 1.5x state average in 2021.
- Northeast urban areas have lower smoking rates at 12% vs 20% Midwest rural 2020.
- Pacific Northwest rural has 30% higher chronic pain prevalence 2019.
- Chicago South Side has HIV rates 10x higher than suburbs 2021.
- Rural Midwest has 25% fewer dentists per capita than urban 2022.
- Southwest border counties have TB rates 3x national average 2020.
- New England has lowest premature death rates at 340/100k vs South 450/100k 2019.
- Rural California Central Valley has 35% higher pesticide-related illnesses 2021.
- Detroit urban core has lead poisoning in kids 5x suburbs 2020.
- Hawaiian islands outer have 40% higher obesity than Oahu urban 2019.
- Rural Georgia Black Belt has 50% higher hypertension prevalence 2021.
- Urban LA Skid Row has overdose deaths 20x Beverly Hills 2022.
- Rural Vermont has mental health provider shortage 2x urban shortages 2020.
- Southern Louisiana parishes have cancer cluster rates 25% above state 2019.
Geographic Disparities Interpretation
America’s zip code is a far more powerful predictor of your health than your genetic code, with these disparities painting a stark portrait of geography as destiny.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities
- Non-Hispanic Black women experienced a maternal mortality rate of 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, which is 2.6 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic White women at 21.1.
- American Indian and Alaska Native adults have a diabetes prevalence rate of 13.1% compared to 7.4% for non-Hispanic White adults in 2019.
- Hispanic children are 1.5 times more likely to have obesity rates at 26.2% versus 14.6% for non-Hispanic White children aged 2-19 years in 2017-2020.
- Asian Americans have the lowest hypertension prevalence at 26.5%, while non-Hispanic Black adults have the highest at 56.2% in 2017-2018.
- Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults smoke at a rate of 24.4%, higher than the 12.4% for Asian adults in 2020.
- Non-Hispanic Black adults are 60% more likely to have diagnosed diabetes than non-Hispanic Whites in 2021.
- In 2019, the age-adjusted cancer mortality rate for Black men was 228.7 per 100,000, compared to 184.5 for White men.
- Hispanic adults have a stroke mortality rate 20% lower than non-Hispanic Whites, but 30% higher than Asians in 2018.
- American Indian adults experience suicide rates 2.4 times higher than White adults in 2021.
- Non-Hispanic Black infants have a mortality rate of 10.8 per 1,000 live births versus 4.4 for non-Hispanic White infants in 2021.
- Hispanic women have breast cancer incidence rates 20% lower than non-Hispanic White women but higher mortality rates in 2020.
- Asian Americans have the highest proportion of undiagnosed hypertension at 28% compared to 18% for Whites in 2017.
- Native Hawaiian adults have obesity rates of 40.8% versus 31.6% for Whites in 2019.
- Black children aged 0-17 have asthma prevalence of 13.6% compared to 7.4% for White children in 2020.
- In 2022, COVID-19 death rates for Black persons were 1.7 times higher than for White persons.
- Hispanic adults report fair or poor health at 18.5% versus 12.4% for non-Hispanic Whites in 2021.
- American Indian women have cervical cancer mortality 1.8 times higher than White women in 2019.
- Non-Hispanic Black men have prostate cancer incidence 1.7 times higher than White men in 2021.
- Asian elders over 65 have lower depression rates at 8% vs 12% for Whites in 2018.
- Hispanic youth have higher rates of untreated mental illness at 15% vs 10% for Whites in 2020.
- Black Americans are twice as likely to die from heart disease as White Americans in 2020.
- Native Hawaiians have liver disease mortality 2 times higher than Whites in 2019.
- In 2021, non-Hispanic Asian infants had the lowest low birthweight rate at 7.3% vs 14.0% for Black infants.
- Hispanic men have lower colorectal cancer screening rates at 68% vs 75% for White men in 2020.
- Black women over 20 have obesity prevalence of 56.9% vs 40.2% for White women in 2017-2020.
- American Indian adolescents have vaping rates 1.5 times higher than White peers in 2021.
- Non-Hispanic Blacks have ESRD incidence 3.4 times higher than Whites in 2019.
- Hispanic children experience food insecurity at 24% vs 14% for White children in 2021.
- Asian Americans have higher gallbladder cancer rates among women at 1.5 times Whites in 2020.
- Black adults delay medical care due to cost at 22% vs 14% for Whites in 2022.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Interpretation
This relentless litany of statistical inequity exposes how America's most vulnerable citizens, through a toxic cocktail of systemic neglect, historical injustice, and unequal access, are essentially born, live, and die according to a rigged and brutal algorithm of identity.
Socioeconomic Disparities
- Individuals below 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) have a life expectancy 10-15 years shorter than those above 400% FPL in the US, 2019 data.
- Low-income adults (income < $25,000) report poor health at 28% vs 8% for high-income (> $75,000) in 2021.
- Children in households below poverty line have 1.7 times higher obesity rates than those above in 2019.
- Low SES neighborhoods have 30% higher prevalence of diabetes among adults per 2020 studies.
- Adults with less than high school education have heart disease mortality 3.5 times higher than college graduates in 2018.
- Low-income families face 50% higher infant mortality risk adjusted for SES in 2021.
- Uninsured low-income adults have 40% lower cancer screening rates than insured high-income in 2020.
- Poor adults are twice as likely to have untreated hypertension as wealthy adults in 2019.
- Low SES women have maternal mortality 2 times higher than high SES in 2020.
- Food insecurity correlates with 25% higher depression rates in low-income groups 2021.
- Adults in bottom income quartile have 2.5 times higher stroke incidence than top quartile in 2018.
- Low-education groups have COPD mortality 2.8 times higher than high-education in 2019.
- Poverty-level children have asthma hospitalization rates 3 times higher in urban areas 2020.
- Low-income seniors receive 20% fewer preventive services than affluent peers in 2022.
- Unemployed individuals have 1.8 times higher suicide risk adjusted for income in 2021.
- Bottom quintile income has 35% higher opioid overdose death rates in 2020.
- Low SES adolescents have 40% higher mental health disorder prevalence in 2019.
- Poor neighborhoods have 50% more fast food outlets per capita leading to higher obesity 2021.
- Income inequality counties show 15% higher premature mortality rates in 2018.
- Medicaid enrollees have 25% higher emergency department visits for preventable conditions 2020.
- Low-income groups delay dental care at 35% vs 15% high-income in 2021.
- Education below college doubles risk of fair/poor health self-report in adults 2022.
- Poverty households have 2.2 times higher lead exposure in children 2019.
- Low SES workers have 30% higher injury rates on job in 2020.
- Uninsured poor adults have 4 times higher uncompensated care burden in 2021.
- Bottom income decile has 20% lower vaccination rates for flu in seniors 2020.
Socioeconomic Disparities Interpretation
Poverty in America isn't merely a lack of money; it's a pre-existing condition with a lethal prognosis, systematically shortening lives, eroding health, and transmitting disadvantage from one generation to the next with bureaucratic efficiency.
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