What is Health Equity? What is Health Disparity?
Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LOC 412-DA-8518
Health equity has been defined in many ways, but it always refers to the opportunity for all to be healthy and make healthy choices. Achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally and continually striving to address avoidable inequalities, injustices, and the elimination of health disparities.
Health disparities are health differences that are systematic, unfair, and avoidable. Health equity describes the world we want to see, and elimination of health disparities is one way to help us get there.
Further Reading
- Hutchinson, R. N., & Shin, S. (2014). Systematic Review of Health Disparities for Cardiovascular Diseases and Associated Factors among American Indian and Alaska Native Populations. PLoS ONE, 9(1), e80973.
- Young, W., Karp, S., Bialick, P., et al. (2016). Health, Secondhand Smoke Exposure, and Smoking Behavior Impacts of No-Smoking Policies in Public Housing, Colorado, 2014–2015. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13, E148.
- Gray, S. C., Edwards, S. E., Schultz, B. D., & Miranda, M. L. (2014). Assessing the impact of race, social factors and air pollution on birth outcomes: a population-based study. Environmental Health, 13, 4.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. Factors That Contribute to Health Disparities in Cancer.