Black: White Health Disparities in the United States and Chicago: 1990-2010.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: In order to assess progress in eliminating health disparities, a Healthy People 2010 goal, both at the national level and in Chicago, Illinois, we examined whether disparities between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White persons widened, narrowed, or stayed the same between 1990 and 2010. METHODS: We examined 17 health status indicators. In order to determine whether a disparity widened, narrowed, or remained unchanged between 1990 and 2010, we examined the relative percentage difference in rates at both time points and at each location. We calculated P values to determine whether changes in relative percentage difference over time were statistically significant. RESULTS: Disparities between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White populations widened for 8 of the 17 health status indicators examined for the USA (6 significantly), whereas in Chicago the majority of disparities widened (9 of 17, 4 significantly). The mortality gap is responsible for more than 60,000 excess Black deaths per year in the USA. CONCLUSIONS: Despite substantial effort and funds aimed at meeting the Healthy People 2010 goal of eliminating health disparities, minimal progress has been made.