African American Health Equity

The field of health disparities and subsequently health equity has origins in the study of differences in health status and outcomes between African American and White populations. As a result, the literature surrounding health disparities and health equity among African Americans is arguably the most robust of any population-specific health disparity group. African American populations remain severely impacted by macrolevel structural issues that lead to many health disparities. This chapter summarizes the multilevel factors influencing the presence of health disparities for African Americans. It also summarizes several of the most studied disparities, examining the cause-specific health determinants, outcome disparities, and cause-specific recommendations for intervention and prevention work. The chapter describes the ways in which social determinants of health play a role in the existence and persistence of African American health disparities. It concludes with a discussion of specific approaches to advance health equity among African Americans.