Minority Health

About Minority Health

A minority is a group that has a smaller number of individuals (less than half) and are outnumbered by the majority group.

In the United States, people in racial and ethnic minority groups experience higher rates of illness and death across a wide range of health conditions, including:

• diabetes
• hypertension
• obesity
• asthma
• and heart disease
• as well as average life expectancy compared to their white counterparts.

The 2018 U.S. Census report has noted the year 2030 as a demographic turning point for the United States. The nation’s population is expected to include more older people and to become more racially and ethnically diverse. cdc.gov/minority-health/

Intersectionality With Brain injury

Racial and ethnic minorities have higher rates of TBI, higher death rates from TBI and poorer outcomes. Native American and Alaskan Natives have the highest rate of TBI and the highest death rate of all other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Some of the reasons for the higher rates include higher rates of motor vehicle accidents, substance use and suicide. (cdc.gov)

Native Americans are also more likely to experience brain injuries from domestic violence. After TBI, racial and ethnic minority groups have poorer outcomes in terms of overall functioning, employment, psychosocial functioning, independence at home and overall life satisfaction. Hispanics and Blacks with TBI are more likely to drop out of studies looking at the long-term impact of brain injury. This dropout rate could be attributed to multiple things including lack of trust in the healthcare system. They are less likely to receive follow up care and rehabilitation which was significantly related to lack of insurance.