Disparities

African Americans, Louisiana’s largest minority group, make up 32 percent of the state’s population, more than twice the national percentage. Yet, recent studies have shown that despite the steady improvements in the overall health of the United States, racial and ethnic minorities experience a lower quality of health services, are less likely to receive routine medical procedures and have higher rates of morbidity and mortality than non-minorities.

The leading causes of death for African Americans in Louisiana are cardiovascular diseases including heart disease and strokeand cancer. Between 1996 and 2000, African Americans in Louisiana had a higher heart disease death rate than whites, Asian/Pacific Islanders, American Indian/Alaska Natives and Hispanics. Between 1991 and 1998, African Americans also had a higher stroke death rate than any other group.

African Americans experience a disproportionate number of cancer deaths. In 2000, African American men had a cancer death rate of 383.3 per 100,000, compared with 272 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic, white men. African American women also had a higher cancer death rate than white women. For some types of cancer, the disparities are more pronounced. For example, the prostate cancer death rate for African American men is more than twice the rate for white men.

LPHI is dedicated to achieving the nationwide goal to eliminate health disparities among minorities, impoverished people and women. For more information, visit Partnership for Access to Healthcare, a program of LPHI.