The National Institutes of Health defines health disparities as differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific populations in the United States. The reduction of health disparities is included as one of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2010 objectives. Health disparities currently exist in a number of health areas in the Greater Dallas Area, such as race/ethnicity, gender, and geography. Also, because the Greater Dallas Area has a very large number of minorities who may have inadequate access to health care, limited economic opportunities, and low rates of educational attainment, the problem of health disparities may be exacerbated. Adequate funding for the public health system, increased access to both primary and tertiary care, and increased economic and educational opportunities within our minority populations may help in achieving the goals set in the Healthy People 2010 objectives of reducing existing health disparities.
This aspiration presents data and information on five indicators, which are listed in the grey panel on the right side of this page. Specifically, the four indicators within this aspiration report the following:
- Disparities by race/ethnicity: Data measuring the racial/ethnic disparity among the leading causes of death in Dallas County, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Disparities in gender: Data measuring the disparity in leading causes of death between males and females in Dallas County, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Disparities in geography: Data measuring the geographic disparities in health in the Dallas Service Areas from 2000 to 2003.