Race and Ethnicity in Health Disparities

These flashcards focus on key vocabulary related to race, ethnicity, and health disparities, based on the lecture notes provided.

Social comparison theory

The idea that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others.

Income inequality

The unequal distribution of income within a population.

Health disparities

Differences in health outcomes among various population groups.

Infant mortality rate

The number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births.

Diabetes prevalence

The proportion of a population that has been diagnosed with diabetes.

Biopsychosocial model

A model that integrates biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding health and illness.

Racial residential segregation

The physical separation of races into different geographic areas.

Socioeconomic status (SES)

An individual’s or group's social and economic position relative to others based on income, education, and occupation.

Discrimination

The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people.

Vicarious discrimination

Experiencing secondhand discrimination through witnessing or hearing about the discrimination of others.

Educational attainment

The highest level of education an individual has completed.

Census data

Statistical data collected systematically from a population, typically regarding demographics.

Health behaviors

Actions taken by individuals that affect their health.

Perceived discrimination

The belief or experience of being treated unfairly due to one's race or ethnicity.

Racial/ethnic identity

A person’s affiliation with a particular racial or ethnic group.

Protective factors

Conditions or attributes that lessen or eliminate the likelihood of a negative outcome.

Age-adjusted rates

Rates that have been modified to eliminate the effects of age differences in the populations being compared.

Cohort effect

The influence of a shared experience of a group of individuals who were born in the same time period.

Latino health paradox

The observation that Latinos tend to have better health outcomes than expected given their lower socioeconomic status.

Structural racism

A system in which public policies, institutional practices, and cultural representations reinforce racial group inequity.

Health-promoting factors

Characteristics of individual's lives, including access to health care, that contribute to better health.

Chronic stress

A persistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time.

Cultural competence

The ability of healthcare providers to understand and respond effectively to the cultural and language needs of patients.

Residential conditions

The physical and social environment of where individuals live, which affects their overall health.

Racialized health disparities

Health differences that are a direct result of historical and structural racism.

Public housing

Government-owned housing that is rented to low-income families.

Gentrification

The process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste.

White flight

The phenomenon of white families moving out of neighborhoods as Black families move in.