Ethnic minority groups are consistently unhealthier than the majority white population in England and Wales, a Manchester university census revealed last week.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have found that persistent inequalities are seen in the health of Pakistani and Bangladeshi women in particular, with illness rates 10% higher than white women.
White Gypsy or Irish traveller groups also fall into the group of unhealthy minorities.
For the first time they have been identified in the census as having particularly poor health. Both men and women in these groups have twice the rates of limiting long-term illness than their white British counterparts.
Researchers focused more prominently on the census question on limiting-long term illness; a question asked in all three census years 1991, 2001 and 2011.
Limiting-long term illness is measured by looking at whether day-to-day activities are limited because of a health problem or disability which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.
Whilst 56% of all women aged 65 or older reported a limiting long-term illness, over 70% of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and white Gypsy or Irish traveller women at this age reported a limiting long-term illness.
Arab and Indian older women also reported high percentages of limiting long-term illness.
Dr Laia Becares, who lead the research, said: “Many factors cause poor health: age, sex, hereditary factors.”
“But education, social position, income, local environment, and experiences of racism and racial discrimination are much more important and adjustable through public policy.”
Dr Becares explained the impact racism and racial discrimination has upon the health of a minority group.
She said: “All the issues I mentioned, which affect health, are not equally distributed across ethnic groups. Ethnic minority groups have lower socioeconomic resources, which causes them to have poorer health. Racial issues affect health through racism and discrimination.
“Racism and discrimination are an important cause of the lower socioeconomic resources of ethnic minority groups (including education, income, and social position), and tackling racism and discrimination is key for addressing ethnic inequalities in health.”
Dr Becares provided MM with a number of ways that these inequalities could be combatted through policy changes.
She said: “Bad health is caused by factors such as poor living conditions (damp housing, overcrowding), lack of material resources (no income, or low income for example), and stress that arises from all these factors, as well as from having job instability, stressful job conditions and also living in a dangerous neighbourhood.
“All of these are modifiable factors that policies could tackle with affordable housing, increased job opportunities, and a minimum wage that allows for a decent living standard.”
The census therefore indicates that addressing the social determinants of health is key to improving the health of the population of England and Wales, and to reducing ethnic health inequalities.
Image courtesy of Think Defence via Flickr, with thanks
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