From COVID to cancer, Black people have always had to exist with higher instances of health problems than our white counterparts. These disparities are impacted by what experts call social determinants of health (SDOHs), that keep kicking us whether we are up or down. According to the HHS, SDOHs cover five nonmedical domains:
- Economic stability
- Education access and quality
- Healthcare access and quality
- Neighborhood and environment
- Social and community context
Seems obvious, right? These five factors have a major impact on people’s health, well-being, and quality of life. Without economic stability, one is more likely to end up without medical insurance, or worse, living in a neighborhood that is a labeled a food desert. And you can forget about access to the best educational opportunities.
So yes, when you add these five domains together, then apply the standards to most urban environments, it is no wonder that Black people are especially predisposed to have increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity when compared to those with easy access to healthy foods.
Top five causes of death
Counting down the top five causes of death, we start with COVID-19. Having ravaged the Black community in 2020 and 2021, rates blessedly dropped precipitously in 2022, accounting for 5.3% of deaths that year.
Number 4 on the list is cerebrovascular disease. More commonly called strokes, they accounted for 5.5% of Black deaths in 2022.
Number 3 on the list are accidents, also known as unintentional injuries, which accounted for 8.4% of deaths in 2022.
Number 2 brings us to malignant neoplasms, which is the medical term for cancer. Cancer accounted for 17.2% of deaths.
Finally, the condition that has been perennial winner for the past century, heart disease continues to be the number one killer of Black Americans.
And sure, while heart disease has been the top cause of death for all races since 1921, Healthline says that Black Americans are 30% more likely to die from diseases of the heart than our white counterparts.
Again, due much to the impact of those SDOHs that cause us to live with more stress and in worse conditions than others. However, there is one bright spot: some SDOHs are somewhat manageable. For example, smokers can quit. We can limit the snack foods we eat. And please, visit a doctor.
Our health is worth it.