Health of Colorado Minorities Worse Than That of Whites, Report Finds

Minorities in Colorado are more likely to be sick, be injured or die prematurely compared to whites, according to a report released March 14 by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Denver Post reports (Kreck, Denver Post, 3/15). "Profile of Health Disparities Among Communities of Color," prepared by the Colorado Turning Point Initiative and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, determined that although blacks account for only 3.8% of the state's population, they are more likely to die of cancer, stroke and homicide and have a life expectancy that is 4.7 years lower than that of the general population. They also have the state's highest rate of gonorrhea and HIV and an infant mortality rate that is 5.3 times higher than that of any other ethnic group. Hispanics, who account for 15.4% of the state's population, are more likely to die from diabetes, accidential injuries and automobile accidents. They also have the highest teen fertility rate in the state -- six times higher than any other ethnic group -- and the highest rate of cervical cancer. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have the highest rate of tuberculosis at 24 times the rate for whites, and Native Americans have the highest rate of chronic liver disease -- 3.4 times higher than any other group in the state ( CDPHE release, 3/14). Grant Jones, executive director of the Black Church Initiative, which sponsors health screenings and awareness at Denver churches, said many of the disparities exist because health care providers "have not been effective in reaching out to communities of color." He added that more minority providers might help alleviate the problem. Rufina Hernandez, director of the Latin American Research and Service Agency, agreed, noting that many health care providers are not "culturally competent." Language barriers and undocumented immigrants' ineligibility for public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid also exacerbate the problem, Mimi Giang, director of Clinica Tepeyac in northwest Denver, added, noting that even public clinics remain too expensive for some workers (Denver Post, 3/15).