Health Inequity is a Key Concern in Minnesota

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Minnesota is generally considered one of the healthiest states in the country; however, health incomes for the state’s residents vary greatly in terms of race, sexual-orientation, and mental health status, according to the Minnesota Commissioner of Health, Dr. Ed Ehlinger.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health’s “Advancing Health Equity” report, which highlighted disparities in health among specific populations, Minnesota’s growing Latino population deal with several critical health disparities.

Per the report, Minnesota’s Latino youths have extremely high rates of obesity. American Indian and African American youths also have higher rates that white youths. Also, poverty rates for children under 18 are twice as high for Latino children than for white children.

In Minnesota, Latinos have less than half the per-capita income of whites. Latino youths, along with American Indian youths, have the lowest rates of on-time high school graduation. The report also determined that low-income students are more likely to experience residential instability.

The root causes of the disparities in health outcomes among the Latino population can be traced to a number of factors including social and economic conditions. Raising awareness of these disparities has been a prime concern of many of the state’s healthcare agencies.

Read more about the report here.

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