Study Examines Racial Health Disparities in Oklahoma

African-American, Hispanic and American Indian Oklahoma residents are at a greater risk of "dying prematurely" than white Oklahomans, according to a report released by the state Board of Health on Aug. 12, the Daily Oklahoman reports. The following are among the findings of the "2002 State of the State's Health Interim Report: The Haves & Have-nots":

• African-American and American Indian Oklahoma residents have a higher death rate from heart disease than the national average.
• The cancer death rate of Hispanic, African-American and American Indian state residents is higher than the U.S. average.
• African-American and American Indian women's rates of contracting and dying from breast cancer are higher than the national average.
• The percentage of African-American and Hispanic Oklahomans who die of stroke is greater than that of the state's white population.
• Infant mortality among Oklahoma African Americans and American Indians is greater than it is among whites in the state.

Suggestions
Board of Health member Gordon Deckert said that to address the disparities, the state needs to boost access to care for members of minority populations, increase funding for minority health programs and recruit minority medical providers. He added that health care professionals in the state should enroll in cultural-competency training. Deckert pointed out that minorities in Oklahoma are more likely than whites to have low incomes and to be uninsured; he wrote in the report, "Those living in poverty bear the greatest burden of health disparities ... particularly access. Therefore, it is hard to visualize how health disparities can be diminished substantially until we solve the problem of the uninsured and underinsured" (Killackey, Daily Oklahoman, 8/13). The report is available online. Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the report.