World Health and Disparities HOSA

What medical condition has been impacted by a phone-based intervention program with Navajo patients?

Heart Failure

According to 2016-2017 OECD data, which country has the lowest infant mortality rate?

Japan

According to the WHO, how many years could be added to life expectancy if primary care was increased in low/middle-income countries?

3.7 years

Which US state had the greatest economic burden due to health disparities based on educational level?

Texas

In just two years (2019–2021), global life expectancy fell by how many years due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

1.8 years

According to the WHO World Health Statistics 2025, how many more people were living "healthier lives" by the end of 2024?

1.4 billion

What percentage of the projected health gains from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be achieved through Primary Health Care (PHC)?

75%

Which term refers to the process of cultural or behavioral assimilation and becoming absorbed into the dominant social culture?

Acculturation

What 1964 Act declared that recipients of federal funding must provide meaningful access to people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)?

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

According to recent UN data, maternal deaths dropped by what percentage between 2000 and 2023?

40%

What is the projected shortfall of health workers globally by the year 2030?

11.1 million

In the United States, what is the largest government program used to fight poverty-related health issues?

Medicaid

Which region has the highest neonatal mortality rate as of 2024?

Sub-Saharan Africa

What percentage of the U.S. population was represented by People of Color (POC) in the 2010 Census?

36.3%

According to the WHO, what is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 70 worldwide?

Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)

What concept describes the "imbalance of the person both within one’s being and in the outside world"?

Illness

What is the term for a particular type of health difference closely linked with social, economic, or environmental disadvantage?

Health Disparity

According to the 2025 WHO report, what is the current global life expectancy at birth?

73.3 years

What percentage of U.S. residents over the age of 5 speak a language other than English at home?

20.8%

Which specific cultural heritage belief often involves the concept of the "Evil Eye" (mal de ojo) impacting health?

Hispanic/Latino Heritage

What is the term for the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, and values?

Culture

Which heritage group may believe that health is a state of physical and spiritual harmony with nature?

American Indian/Alaska Native

In the "HEALTH Traditions Model," what are the three methods to maintain health?

Physical, Mental, and Spiritual

What is the term for a person's individual perception of their own health and well-being?

Subjective Health

Which term describes the tendency to believe that one's own cultural or ethnic group is centrally important?

Ethnocentrism

In many Asian cultures, what is the life force or energy that must be kept in balance?

Qi (Chi)

What is the name of the traditional Hispanic healer who uses herbs, massage, and prayers?

Curandero/a

Which religious group may refuse blood transfusions based on scriptural interpretations?

Jehovah’s Witnesses

What is the term for the belief that all members of a specific group are the same?

Stereotyping

According to the National Standards for CLAS, what does "CLAS" stand for?

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services

According to the 2024 WHO report, which disease remains the world’s leading infectious killer?

Tuberculosis (TB)

What is the acronym for the international goals set in 2015 to be achieved by 2030, including "Good Health and Well-being"?

SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

Which global region has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS among adults?

Sub-Saharan Africa

What is the primary indicator used to measure the overall health of a nation?

Infant Mortality Rate

The "Gini Coefficient" is a statistical measure used to represent what in a population?

Income Inequality

What percentage of the world's population currently lacks access to essential health services?

50% (or half)

What is the term for the number of years a person is expected to live in "full health"?

HALE (Healthy Life Expectancy)

Which organization is the directing and coordinating authority for international health within the United Nations?

World Health Organization (WHO)

What is the term for deaths occurring within the first 28 days of life?

Neonatal Mortality

Which country is consistently ranked #1 in the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index?

Spain

According to the CDC, which racial/ethnic group has the highest prevalence of diagnosed diabetes?

American Indian/Alaska Native

What is the term for the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age?

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

Which US policy was designed to increase health insurance coverage for the uninsured and underinsured?

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

What is the "Weathering" hypothesis?

The idea that chronic stress leads to early health deterioration in Black Americans

In the US, which gender typically has a higher life expectancy but higher rates of chronic illness?

Females

Which term describes a lack of access to affordable, nutritious food?

Food Insecurity

What is the primary source of health insurance for low-income individuals in the United States?

Medicaid

What is the term for the difference in health outcomes between rural and urban populations?

Rural-Urban Health Disparity

According to the 2020 Census, what is the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the US?

Asian

What is "Health Literacy"?

The degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information

Which culture often uses "cupping" or "coining" (Cao Gio) to release "wind" or toxins from the body?

Southeast Asian

What is the name of the traditional Chinese medical practice involving the insertion of needles into specific meridians?

Acupuncture

In the Amish community, what is the term for the period of adolescence where youth may explore the outside world?

Rumspringa

Which traditional belief system defines health as a balance between "hot" and "cold" (not temperature, but properties)?

Hispanic/Latino (and some Asian)

What is the name of the Jewish dietary laws that dictate which foods are "clean" and "fit" to eat?

Kashrut (Kosher)

What is "Moxibustion"?

The burning of mugwort on or near the skin to facilitate healing

In many Middle Eastern cultures, which hand is traditionally considered "unclean" and should not be used for eating or medical care?

Left hand

Which culture may use "Amulets" or "Mano Milagrosa" to ward off the "Evil Eye"?

Hispanic/Latino

What is the term for a sacred object or medicine bag used by some Native American tribes for protection?

Medicine Bundle

Which religious group may decline surgery or anesthesia on the Sabbath (from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday)?

Orthodox Judaism

Which racial group in the US is least likely to receive pain medication for long-bone fractures in the Emergency Room?

Hispanic and Black patients

What is "Implicit Bias" in a clinical setting?

Unconscious associations that affect a provider's understanding and actions

What is the "Healthy Immigrant Effect"?

The phenomenon where new immigrants are often healthier than native-born residents

Which population group has the highest rate of unintended pregnancies and higher maternal mortality in the US?

Black/African American women

What is the term for a healthcare provider’s ability to work effectively within the cultural context of a patient?

Cultural Competence

In the US, which minority group has the highest rates of liver cancer, often linked to Hepatitis B?

Asian Americans

What is the "Proportionate Universalism" approach to reducing disparities?

Actions that are universal but with a scale and intensity proportionate to the level of disadvantage

Which term describes the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people based on their age?

Ageism

What was the landmark study that exposed the unethical withholding of syphilis treatment from Black men?

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Which group of Americans is significantly more likely to be uninsured due to lack of employer-sponsored coverage?

Hispanic/Latino Americans

What is the leading cause of "Years Lived with Disability" (YLD) globally?

Mental health disorders (specifically Depression)

According to the WHO, what is the primary environmental risk factor for global disease?

Air Pollution

What does the acronym "UHC" stand for in global health policy?

Universal Health Coverage

Which country has the highest "Out-of-Pocket" health expenditure as a percentage of total health spending among OECD nations?

Mexico (or India globally)

What is "Stunting" in child health?

Low height-for-age due to chronic malnutrition

What is "Wasting" in child health?

Low weight-for-height due to acute malnutrition

Which global initiative aims to end the epidemics of AIDS, TB, and Malaria?

The Global Fund

What is the "Double Burden of Malnutrition"?

The coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight/obesity in the same population

Which region currently has the highest life expectancy in the world?

Western Pacific (specifically Japan/Hong Kong)

What is the term for a disease that exists permanently in a particular region or population?

Endemic

What is the name of the traditional African American healer who may use roots, herbs, and spiritual symbols?

High-John the Conqueror (or Root Doctor)

In the Hispanic community, what is the name of a traditional midwife who also provides nutritional and spiritual advice?

Partera

What is the name of the traditional Chinese practitioner who specializes in herbal medicine and pulse diagnosis?

Herbalist

What is the term for a healer in Native American culture who serves as a bridge between the natural and spiritual worlds?

Shaman (or Medicine Man/Woman)

Which term describes a lay member of the community who works in frontline health promotion in Hispanic/Latino communities?

Promotora de Salud

In the US, what percentage of active physicians are Black or African American as of recent AAMC data?

Approximately 5.7%

What is the name of the traditional Caribbean healer who uses a combination of Catholic and African beliefs (Santeria)?

Santero/a

In the Hmong culture, what is the "soul loss" called that is believed to cause severe illness?

Ceeb

Which religious group believes in "Christian Science" and may rely on "Practitioners" instead of medical doctors for healing?

Church of Christ, Scientist

What is the term for the tendency of healthcare providers to treat patients differently based on their own cultural background?

Provider Bias

What is the term for the fair treatment and involvement of all people regardless of race or income regarding environmental laws?

Environmental Justice

Which US city became a national symbol for health disparities due to lead-contaminated water?

Flint, Michigan

What is a "Food Desert"?

A geographic area where access to affordable, healthy food is limited or non-existent

Which population group is most likely to live in "fence-line communities" near industrial plants and waste sites?

Low-income and minority populations

What is the term for the phenomenon where urban areas are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas, impacting heat-related illness?

Urban Heat Island Effect

Which respiratory condition shows the highest disparity in hospitalization rates among Black children compared to White children?

Asthma

What are "Targeted Universalism" policies?

Setting a universal goal but using different strategies for different groups to reach it

What is the "Social Gradient of Health"?

The consistent finding that the lower a person's socioeconomic position, the worse their health

Which federal agency is responsible for protecting human health and the environment?

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

What is "Redlining" and how did it affect health?

Discriminatory housing practices that led to long-term disinvestment and poor health outcomes in minority neighborhoods