Report Examines Diseases that
Disproportionately Affect Colorado’s
Communities of Color
DENVER--The Office of Health Disparities at the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment Thursday will host a
“release event” to discuss findings of its annual report, “Racial and
Ethnic Health Disparities in Colorado 2009,” which highlights diseases,
disabilities and deaths that disproportionately affect
Hispanics/Latinos, African-Americans/Blacks, American Indians and
Asians/Pacific Islanders.
The event will be at the Colorado Department of
Public Health and Environment on Wednesday, July 22, from 2 to 3
p.m. at 4300 Cherry Creek Drive So., Sabin-Cleere conference
room, in Denver.
The public is invited to attend the event where
they will hear specifics about the report and may ask questions
and receive a free copy of the report.
Some of the key findings in the report that will
be discussed are listed below:
Hispanics/Latinos experience the highest
incidence of cervical cancer, deaths from diabetes and motor
vehicle injuries, and teen birth rate, but lower rates of
diagnosed hypertension and death rates from lung cancer.
African-Americans/Blacks, although they
have low rates of binge drinking and steadily declining teen
birth rates, have the highest death rates of cancer,
specifically lung and prostate, and the highest rate of
diagnosed hypertension and deaths from heart disease.
American Indians experience the highest
death rate from diabetes and high rates of smoking, binge
drinking and adult obesity. They also have the lowest overall
death rate, and the lowest death rates for breast cancer, heart
disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and suicide.
Asian American/Pacific Islanders
experience the highest incidence of tuberculosis and chronic
hepatitis B and the highest death rate for cervical cancer. They
have the lowest rates of adult obesity and smoking, and the
lowest death rates for heart disease, cancer and infant
mortality.
Known as health disparities, these differences
in health status, access to health care and quality of care
among these groups are present at the national, state and local
levels.
Mauricio Palacio, director of the Department of
Public Health and Environment’s Office of Health Disparities,
said, “Communities of color are disproportionately affected in
all health areas, including chronic disease, communicable
disease, injury, and maternal and child health.”
Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical officer at the
department, added, “Health disparity issues are critical in
health care today. Not all the illness or wellness in the United
States affects everyone in an equal way. Some of our state’s
poor health aggregates in our communities of color. “
The report documents differences in health
outcomes among Colorado groups and explores social environments
that may impact their health. The report also illustrates
economic costs of health disparities and provides
recommendations that can be used in program development, grant
writing and collaborative efforts to improve health for
communities of color.
For more information, e-mail
cdphedohd@state.co.us
or call Rachel Carmen at 303-692-2087.
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State of Colorado,
Department
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