Research Paper Undergraduate 1,597 words

Health Inequities in Prince George's County, Maryland

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Abstract

This paper examines psychosocial factors and health inequities in Prince George's County, Maryland, by analyzing morbidity and mortality data across racial and ethnic groups. Drawing on county, state, and national statistics, the paper compares infant mortality, life expectancy, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease rates among White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian residents. It identifies key health disparities—particularly the significantly higher infant mortality rate among Black infants—and analyzes their root causes through the socio-ecological model. Upstream factors including poverty, racism, limited healthcare access, education gaps, and cultural barriers are discussed. The paper concludes with policy recommendations aimed at reducing disparities and improving health outcomes for all county residents.

Key Takeaways

Morbidity and Mortality by Race and Ethnicity: County health statistics compared by race and ethnicity
Existing Health Disparities: Key disparities in infant mortality and healthcare access
Analysis of Social and Structural Factors: Socio-ecological and upstream causes of disparities
Recommendations for Reducing Health Disparities: Policy solutions to address identified health gaps
References: Sources cited throughout the paper

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What makes this paper effective

Uses comparative data tables at county, state, and national levels to ground each health indicator in concrete numbers, making racial and ethnic disparities immediately visible.
Moves logically from descriptive statistics to causal analysis, applying the socio-ecological model to explain how individual, interpersonal, institutional, and societal factors interact to produce disparate outcomes.
Connects upstream structural factors (poverty, racism, housing) to downstream health outcomes (infant mortality, obesity), demonstrating systems-level thinking.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper exemplifies multi-level causal analysis. Rather than attributing health disparities to a single cause, it systematically applies the socio-ecological framework to show how factors at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and societal levels compound one another. This layered approach is a hallmark of public health writing and strengthens the paper's policy recommendations by ensuring they target multiple levels of intervention.

Structure breakdown

The paper opens with a data-rich section presenting morbidity and mortality statistics across five health indicators, organized by race and ethnicity. It then shifts to an interpretive section identifying existing disparities and their contributing factors. The analysis section deepens the explanation using health determinants, upstream factors, and the socio-ecological model. The paper closes with actionable, multi-pronged policy recommendations. This structure—describe, interpret, analyze, recommend—is a standard and effective format for public health assessments.

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Morbidity and Mortality by Race and Ethnicity

The infant mortality rate in Prince George's County declined by 16% from 2008 to 2017 (Infant Health Fact Sheet, 2018). In 2017, the infant mortality rate for Black infants was 12.0 deaths per 1,000 live births, though the Community Needs Assessment (2018) reports this figure as 8.2. For Hispanic infants, the rate was 5.2 per 1,000 live births, and the overall county rate was 8.2 per 1,000 births (Infant Health Fact Sheet, 2018).

The table below compares infant mortality rates (per 1,000 live births) at the county, state, and national levels by race/ethnicity:

Infant Mortality Rates by Race/Ethnicity (per 1,000 live births)

The overall age-adjusted death rate for Prince George's County is 690.4 per 100,000, with an overall life expectancy of 79 years. For Black residents, the death rate was 735.2 with a life expectancy of 75 years (2015–2019). For White residents, the death rate was 719.3 with a life expectancy of 80 years. For Hispanic residents, the death rate was 410.5 with a life expectancy of 82 years. For Asian residents, the death rate was 387.8 with a life expectancy of 85 years (HDPulse, 2022; World Life Expectancy, 2022).

Death Rates (per 100,000) / Life Expectancy (years) by Race/Ethnicity

The adult obesity rate in Prince George's County is 33.8% (Open Data Network, 2022). By race and ethnicity, the obesity rate is 34.6% for White residents, 38.9% for Black residents, and 20.9% for Hispanic residents. For comparison, Maryland statewide rates are 28.9% for White residents, 38.6% for Black residents, and 30.9% for Hispanic residents. White and Black residents in the county therefore have somewhat higher obesity rates than their statewide counterparts (America's Health Rankings, 2022).

Adult Obesity Rates (%) by Race/Ethnicity

Data on diabetes deaths in the county show 87 deaths per 1,000 for Black residents, 65 per 1,000 for White residents, and 34 per 1,000 for Asian residents (Live Stories, 2022). Diabetes is the leading cause of death for both Black and Asian non-Hispanic residents in the county (Community Needs Assessment, 2018). Overall, an estimated 13.7% of White non-Hispanic (NH) residents and 13.4% of Black NH residents have diabetes, while only 2% of Hispanic residents are estimated to have the condition (Community Needs Assessment, 2018).

Estimated Diabetes Prevalence (%) by Race/Ethnicity

Black non-Hispanic residents have a higher rate of emergency department visits for heart disease, while White non-Hispanic residents have a higher mortality rate from the condition. White non-Hispanic men had the highest heart disease mortality rate in the county at 250.1 per 100,000 during 2012–2014 (Community Needs Assessment, 2018; America's Health Rankings, 2022).

Heart Disease Rates (%) by Race/Ethnicity

Diabetes is the leading cause of death in Prince George's County. The data presented above illustrate how the county's rates compare to the rest of the state and to the nation as a whole, broken down by race and ethnicity.

Existing Health Disparities

One significant health disparity is found in infant mortality, driven by differences in access to care, socioeconomic status, and cultural factors across White, Black, and Hispanic communities. The infant mortality rate for Black infants is nearly double that of White infants in the county and more than double the rate for White infants nationwide. While many factors contribute to this disparity, access to quality healthcare plays a clear role. Black and Hispanic women are more likely to be uninsured than White women, and they are also more likely to live in communities with limited access to quality healthcare. Socioeconomic status is equally important: Black and Hispanic women are more likely to live in poverty and to experience additional social disadvantages such as racism and discrimination—factors that compound poor health outcomes for their infants.

Culture and education also contribute to these disparities. Different cultures hold varying beliefs about health and illness. Some communities may view certain illnesses as punishment from a higher power or as an unavoidable part of life, which can affect how individuals approach their own health and that of their families. These beliefs may make people less likely to seek medical care or to follow treatment plans, perpetuating healthcare disparities.

Education is another key factor. People unfamiliar with the healthcare system may hesitate to seek care or may not know where to turn for help. Language barriers can further impede communication with providers and make it difficult to understand important health information, causing individuals to delay or forgo treatment altogether. For a broader discussion of health equity and the social factors that shape it, public health scholars have increasingly emphasized structural interventions as essential complements to individual-level approaches.

3 locked sections · 620 words

Analysis of Social and Structural Factors430 words

Social and structural factors that may exist in the county could be rooted in racism and discrimination, which may be institutionally and systemically prevalent in many areas of society without people realizing it. This can lead to lower-quality healthcare for Black residents, as well…

Recommendations for Reducing Health Disparities130 words

Recommendations for addressing healthcare disparities include increasing access to healthcare services, improving the quality of those services, and reducing exposure to risk factors for poor health. Access to care can be expanded through financial assistance for low-income…

References60 words

America's Health Rankings. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/Obesity/population/Obesity_Hispanic_C/state/MD…

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Key Concepts in This Paper

Infant Mortality Racial Disparities Socio-ecological Model Upstream Factors Health Determinants Healthcare Access Structural Racism Obesity Rates Diabetes Mortality Social Inequity