Summary

Health disparities are caused by multiple factors including poverty, environmental threats, lack of access to healthcare, individual behavior factors, as well as, educational inequity (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Although preventable, health disparities are rampant throughout the United States. More often than not, those affected by health inequity and disparity are minorities (sexual, racial/ethnic) and of low socioeconomic status. Factors that contribute to healthy lifestyle are often not seen in low income and minority communities, due to disparity, which causes a severe difference in health outcomes. Some steps have been taken to bridge the gap and lessen the burden of disparities, such as the Affordable Care Act, but there is still much more that needs to be done to achieve health equity.