Page 277 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

Known Health Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Groups 255

Immunization
■ In 2004, African Americans aged 65 and older were 30 percent less likely than
non - Hispanic whites of the same age group to have received an infl uenza (fl u)
shot in the past 12 months.

■ In 2005, African Americans aged 65 and older were 30 percent less likely than non -
Hispanic whites of the same age group to have ever received the pneumonia shot.
■ Although African American children aged 19 to 35 months had comparable rates
of immunization for hepatitis, influenza, MMR (measles - mumps - rubella), and

polio, they were slightly less likely to be fully immunized than were non - Hispanic
white children.

Infant Mortality
■ In 2003, African Americans had 2.4 times the infant mortality rate of non - Hispanic
whites.
■ African American infants were almost 4 times as likely to die from causes related
to low birth weight as non - Hispanic white infants were.

■ African Americans had 2.2 times the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) mor-
tality rate of non - Hispanic whites.

■ African American mothers were 2.6 times as likely as non - Hispanic white mothers
to begin prenatal care in the third trimester or to not receive prenatal care at all.

Stroke
■ African American adults were 30 percent more likely than their white adult coun-
terparts to have a stroke.

■ African American males were 50 percent more likely to die from a stroke than
were their white adult counterparts.
■ Analysis from a CDC health interview survey reveals that African American
stroke survivors were more likely to become disabled and have diffi culty with
activities of daily living than were their non - Hispanic white counterparts.

AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE

Cancer
■ In 2002, American Indian and Alaska Native men were 30 percent less likely to
have prostate cancer than non - Hispanic white men were.

■ In 2002, American Indian and Alaska Native women were 30 percent less likely to
have breast cancer than non - Hispanic white women were.

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