Impact of residential segregation on racial health disparities

In a time where the world is recovering from a global pandemic, opinions surrounding healthcare are more relevant than they have been many years. In December of 2020, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an article reporting that racial minorities were disproportionately affected by the consequences of COVID-19. Interestingly enough, one of the factors affecting these populations included residential qualities such as “neighborhood and physical environment” (COVID-19). After gaining context on the effects of residential qualities on racial minority communities, one could argue that these characteristics are some of the most influential in creating health-related inequities.
While other social determinants of health, such as education and income, contribute to racial health disparities, the implications of residential barriers should not be overlooked. Residential barriers, barriers to quality health of certain communities, greatly impact populations who suffer from health-related disparities. Pharmacy and food deserts are two examples of residential barriers. These barriers further advance racial health inequities by exacerbating social determinants of health. Gaining an idea of what residential barriers are and what they look like are the first steps in thoroughly understanding how they influence the health outcomes of certain populations. (author introduction) #P4HEwebinarOctober2023