Health Equity is Our Priority
Learn More about Health Disparities in Connecticut
What is Health Equity?
Health equity is “the principle underlying a commitment to reduce – and, ultimately, eliminate – disparities in health and in its determinants, including social determinants. Pursuing health equity means striving for the highest possible standard of health for all people and giving special attention to the needs of those at greatest risk of poor health, based on social conditions.” From Braveman, 2014:
What Are “Health Disparities”?
Health disparities are health differences that are closely linked with economic, social, environmental, or geographic disadvantages that are avoidable and unjust. Health disparities are driven by sociopolitical and economic systems and structures that shape living environments and influence outcomes. Based on Healthy People 2020 and Unequal Treatment, 2002:
Health Inequities in Connecticut
35%
of Hispanic and Black residents said they did not have access to a car when they needed it.1
$384 Million
in excess hospital costs due to limited access to primary and preventative care.1
19%
of Latino adults say they did not get the necessary health care in the past year.1
28%
of Black, Latino, and low-income adults making under $30K are food insecure.1
Racial inequity in
Connecticut is pervasive across health, wealth, employment, and educational outcomes. So, in that sense Connecticut is no different than other states. However, Connecticut is rich in resources. The key is figuring out how to make sure all Connecticut residents have opportunities to benefit from the State’s resources.
Dr. Linda Sprague Martinez, HDI Director
Disparities in Health Insurance Coverage
(source: https://www.cthealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Uninsured-in-CT-fact-sheet-1.pdf)
Key Areas of Disparities in Connecticut
Social Determinants of Health
There are significant gaps and disparities in access to resources, such as education, transportation, and housing, that negatively impact individual health. In a 2018 survey of Connecticut residents, 13% of Black residents and 13% of Hispanic residents said they couldn’t afford adequate shelter or housing for themselves and/or their families, compared to 6% of white residents. It’s estimated that more than 460,000 residents in Connecticut are food insecure.
Learn more about disparities related to the social determinants of health in Connecticut here and here.
Cost of HealthCare
In Connecticut, Black residents are 3x more likely and Hispanic residents are nearly 4x more likely to be uninsured compared to white residents. According to the 2022 Altarum Healthcare Value Hub’s State Survey, a significantly higher percentage of Black residents (57%) and Native Alaskan, Asian, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander residents (61%) did not receive care over the span of 12 months due to cost compared to white residents (42%).
Learn more about the barriers to high quality health care in Connecticut here, here and here.
Asthma
According to the Department of Public Health’s Connecticut Asthma Program (CAP), there are significant disparities in lifetime prevalence of asthma across gender, race, household income, and educational attainment levels in Connecticut.
Learn more about asthma-related disparities in Connecticut here.
Cancer
Striking disparities exist in cancer diagnoses and cancer-related deaths across race in Connecticut. Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. The incidence rate for cervical cancer is nearly 2x greater for Hispanic women than white women. Black men are almost twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than white men.
Learn more about cancer-related disparities in Connecticut here.
Maternal Health and Mortality
Rates of developing preeclampsia during pregnancy were highest amongst Black women (19.6%) in 2020 in Connecticut. Data from 2020 also shows that prevalence of diabetes and high blood pressure was highest amongst Black women before pregnancy. Nationally, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 2.6 times the rate for white women in 2020. Connecticut’s Department of Public Health’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee identified that 88% of pregnancy-related deaths that occur in Connecticut are preventable.
Learn more about maternal health-related disparities in Connecticut here and here.
Diabetes
In 2022, it was estimated that approximately 309,000 adults have diagnosed diabetes in Connecticut, a 28.9% increase from 2013. Approximately 15.1% of Black adults and 13.2% of Hispanic adults have diagnosed diabetes, compared to 9.3% of white adults in the state. Disparities exist across household income levels, too. 19.3% of adults with annual household incomes less than $25,000 have diagnosed diabetes, compared to 7.1% of adults with annual household incomes of $75,000 or more.
Learn more about diabetes-related disparities in Connecticut here.
Life Expectancy
Serious disparities in life expectancy persist in Connecticut. The all-cause mortality rate for Black people is 21x higher than it is for white people in Connecticut. In Westport, which is home to majority white residents, the life expectancy is approximately 89 years; in northeast Hartford, which is predominantly Black and Hispanic residents, the life expectancy is approximately 68 years.
Learn more about life expectancy in Connecticut here and here.
