Issue Paper Press Release 9/1/04

Manchester, NH-

African Descendents and Latinos living in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire are more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to be overweight or obese, to have diabetes, and to not have health insurance, according to an issue paper released today by the New Hampshire REACH 2010 Initiative of the New Hampshire Minority Health Coalition (NHMHC).

The issue paper, Disparities in Health: A Growing Reality for New Hampshire uses minority health data from the recently published Data Report on the Health of African Descendents and Latinos in Hillsborough County, NH and a survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago and compares it with health data from non-Hispanic Whites collected from the New Hampshire Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (NH BRFSS). The issue paper finds that while 2002 NH BRFSS data indicated that 91 percent of non-Hispanic Whites reported having health insurance coverage, NH REACH 2010 data showed that only 58 percent of African Descendents and 38 percent of Latinos reported having health insurance (NORC data was not available). Evidence of health disparities could also be seen in the prevalence of overweight and obesity and the prevalence of diabetes. While 2002 NH BRFSS showed that 18 percent of non-Hispanic White New Hampshire residents are obese, minority health data indicated that between 23 percent and 27 percent of African Descendent residents and between 33 percent and 23 percent of Latino residents of Hillsborough County are obese. In addition, 2003 NH BRFSS data indicated that 6 percent of non-Hispanic White residents of New Hampshire have diabetes compared to between 20 percent and 8 percent of African Descendent residents and between 9 percent and 6 percent of Latino residents according to minority health data. However, differences in rates of hypertension among the racial and ethnic groups assessed appeared to be minimal.

While racial and ethnic health disparities have been well documented nationally, this issue paper is the first effort to quantify health disparities in New Hampshire using population-based data. "We really wanted to better understand the health status and health care access of minority populations relative to the non-Hispanic White population in New Hampshire," said Andrew Ryan, the author of issue paper. "The data shows that health disparities are not just a national issue."

According to the issue paper, racial and ethnic health disparities in New Hampshire are likely to grow worse as minority populations age. "New Hampshire's minority populations tend to be much younger than the non-Hispanic White population," said Jeanie Holt, the director of the REACH 2010 Initiative. "As a result, many of the serious health problems that result from poor health care access and overweight and obesity are likely to be manifested further down the line."

This issue paper is the first in a series that the NH REACH 2010 Initiative plans to publish on minority health issues in New Hampshire.

The NH REACH 2010 Initiative is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded program of the NHMHC. The NH REACH 2010 Initiative seeks to improve the health status of African Descendent (comprising African Americans as well as blacks from Africa and the Caribbean) and Latino communities in Hillsborough County through research, outreach, and education with a focus on diabetes and hypertension. Both community members and health care providers have participated in the interventions implemented by the NH REACH 2010 Initiative.