tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Lancet Reg Health Am
. 2022 Mar;7:100178.
doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2021.100178. Epub 2022 Jan 7.
The Role of Poverty and Racial Discrimination in Exacerbating the Health Consequences of COVID-19
Zachary Parolin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emma K Lee[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
There were more than 800,000 confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths in the United States (U.S) by the end of 2021. The health consequences of COVID-19, however, have not affected all residents equally. In this review, we synthesize recent evidence suggesting that high levels of poverty in the U.S. compared to other high-income countries, as well as historic and ongoing racial/ethnic discrimination, have exacerbated the health consequences of COVID-19, particularly for racial/ethnic minorities. We discuss four mechanisms through which poverty and discrimination affect COVID-19-related health consequences: greater pre-existing health challenges, reduced access to healthcare, lower-quality neighbourhood and housing conditions, and unequal exposure to high-risk occupations. Evidence suggests that economic and policy institutions that contributed to higher pre-pandemic poverty rates in the U.S., particularly among racial/ethnic minorities, have been central determinants of unequal health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; Health disparities; Poverty; Public health; Racial discrimination.
. 2022 Mar;7:100178.
doi: 10.1016/j.lana.2021.100178. Epub 2022 Jan 7.
The Role of Poverty and Racial Discrimination in Exacerbating the Health Consequences of COVID-19
Zachary Parolin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Emma K Lee[SUP] 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35018358
- PMCID: PMC8739518
- DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2021.100178
Abstract
There were more than 800,000 confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths in the United States (U.S) by the end of 2021. The health consequences of COVID-19, however, have not affected all residents equally. In this review, we synthesize recent evidence suggesting that high levels of poverty in the U.S. compared to other high-income countries, as well as historic and ongoing racial/ethnic discrimination, have exacerbated the health consequences of COVID-19, particularly for racial/ethnic minorities. We discuss four mechanisms through which poverty and discrimination affect COVID-19-related health consequences: greater pre-existing health challenges, reduced access to healthcare, lower-quality neighbourhood and housing conditions, and unequal exposure to high-risk occupations. Evidence suggests that economic and policy institutions that contributed to higher pre-pandemic poverty rates in the U.S., particularly among racial/ethnic minorities, have been central determinants of unequal health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19; Health disparities; Poverty; Public health; Racial discrimination.