Public debates on the lagging health status of people of color often focus on the need for better access to health care. This is certainly an unmet need, but something else is needed as well if lingering health disparities are to end: a simultaneous focus on community environments.
Residential segregation, poor air quality, crumbling school buildings, unsafe sidewalks and parks, and a lack of well-stocked grocery stores are all typical of environments that discourage healthy living and perpetuate poor health. This issue brief discusses how a broader approach to prevention and health promotion can contribute to reducing health disparities. More detailed discussions and recommendations are offered in the three companion briefs in this series.
Co-published with the Joint Center Health Policy Institute.
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