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Internet Exercises
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1

There are class differences in patterns of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with higher-income people having better health and longer life expectancies. Because many people in lower-income groups are racial and ethnic minorities, class differences in morbidity and mortality also translate into racial and ethnic differences in morbidity and mortality. How prominent are these racial and ethnic patterns in health? You can see the patterns for one state, North Carolina, by visiting the website of the North Carolina Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (http://www.omhhd.dhhs.state.nc.us/omhhd/index.html).

Link to Data/Statistics on the left-hand side of the page, and click on North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics. Click on the Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in North Carolina: 2004 Update page through the tables and figures there, and answer these questions:
  1. What are the key health disparities between Whites and minority groups in North Carolina, according to figures 1-3?
  2. What are the sociological factors you can think of that might influence these racial and ethnic differences in health?
  3. How do health patterns for African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans differ from one another? Can you think of any sociological reasons for these differences?
  4. Compare death rates for various conditions by race and ethnic group in table 3. For what kinds of conditions are minorities at an especially high risk?
  5. In table 3, African Americans have a higher overall death rate than any of the other racial or ethnic groups. Sociologically, why do you think this is the case?





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