PrintDisparities among racial and ethnic groups were evident for most of the leading causes of death in Riverside County in 2005, according to a recent report released by the Riverside County Department of Public Health.
Researchers found that blacks experience a greater mortality disparity than other racial and ethnic groups. Blacks were seven times more likely than whites to die from homicide and twice as likely to die from diabetes, according to the report.
The data also shows that Hispanics were half as likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver and 15 percent more likely to die of stroke than whites. However, whites were 30 percent more likely to die of suicide than blacks and 30 percent more likely to die of chronic lung diseases than Hispanics.
Researchers across the nation, state and Inland long have known that health disparities exist among racial and ethnic groups. This week, health disparities were among topics discussed at the annual Healthy People Conference held by the Loma Linda University School of Public Health.
Riverside County epidemiologist Marshare Penny, who performed the Riverside County Public Health Department's study, said agencies and organizations need the data to develop programs and target areas that require the most help.
"As far as data goes, it's really a start," she said. "If the goal is to eliminate health disparities, it's challenging when you have a diverse population."
The research, which also included hospitalization rates for asthma, diabetes and heart disease, could help county health care officials better target prevention efforts toward specific racial and ethnic populations, Penny said. She found that blacks experienced more hospitalizations and deaths for all conditions she examined except heart disease hospitalizations. Asthma hospitalizations among blacks resulted in more than $2 million spent on treatment for the condition, Penny said.
Dr. Eric Frykman, Riverside County's public health officer, said Penny's research shows that lack of health care access and environment affects some county residents' health.
A $373 million federal grant program could advance Inland efforts to get a handle on obesity and other chronic health problems through policy changes and environmental improvements. The public health departments in Riverside and San Bernardino counties submitted multimillion-dollar applications to the program to tackle chronic conditions and reduce health care costs.
Marino De Leon, founding director of Loma Linda University's Center for Health Disparities & Molecular Medicine, said health disparities affect everyone, no matter the race or ethnicity. People who don't have access to health care or live in unhealthy environments end up in hospitals, which costs everyone, he said.
"If we have a sick population, how are we going to compete globally?" he asked. "Who pays for the care in the (emergency room)? Eventually, everyone does. We need to pass on those costs somehow."
Reach Lora Hines at 951-368-9444 or lhines@PE.com
