Hispanic Children Have Highest Obesity Rate, Asian Children Have Lowest

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released their annual report on national health. Here are some key findings from the report on racial disparities:

·         The highest (blacks) and lowest (Asians) infant death rate gap fell from 9.41/1,000 in 1999 to 7.21 in 2013.

·         The gap between the highest (white) and lowest (Asian) smoking rate among women was 13.2% in 2014.

·         The 24.9% difference between the highest and lowest percent uninsured in 1999 fell to 19.9% in 2015.

·         Hispanics ages 2-19 had the highest rate of obesity (21.9%) while Asians had the lowest rate (8.6%).

·         Hispanic adults(16%) were most likely to go without needed dental care in 2014 because of cost.

·         29.9% of black mothers had low-risk cesarean deliveries in 2014, vs. 21.5% of American Indian mothers.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 27, 2016