Introduction
Health inequities constitute an urgent social issue in the modern United States. Unequal access to healthcare has always been prominent, yet today the socioeconomic status of a person is the most definitive factor behind their ability to provide themselves with qualitative healthcare. Subsequently, minority groups that earn less lack access to adequate healthcare. Not only do they have difficulties financing their health-related issues, but they also have more negative health outcomes than representatives of the mainstream groups do. The purpose of this paper is to analyze health inequities in three counties of the state of Virginia, ascertain commonalities, and explore local actions aimed at addressing these issues.
Fairfax County
Health Inequities and Resource Disparities
The major health inequity that Fairfax County faces is the availability of health insurance. More than 90,000 people have no insurance, which means that they are left without healthcare that is needed to help them overcome their medical issues (Fairfax County Health Department, 2022). Another inequity is evident in the manner healthcare is provided. Medical workers experience unconscious racial bias that forces them to treat white patients and racial minorities differently (Fairfax County Health Department, 2022). The major resource disparities are affordable housing, which is not applicable to ethnic minorities, and food shortage, which is experienced by them. The lack of adequate shelter and nutrition exacerbates the health of vulnerable populations, which is not experienced by white residents.
Social Determinants of Health
The major social determinant of inequality in Virginia is wealth distribution. Out of 1.2 million people inhabiting Fairfax County, 7% are in poverty (Fairfax County Health Department, 2022). Among these people, the most disenfranchised are African American and Latino populations. In comparison to white people, 3.8% of whom live below the poverty line, 16.1% and 13.8% of African American and Latino residents cannot sustain themselves. Educational attainment is also a factor as 54.1% of African Americans and 73% of Latino have no bachelor’s degree, while there are only 29.6% of whites with the same level of education.
Root Cause Analysis and County-Specific Policies
The economic situation in Fairfax County is responsible for the subsequent racial biases and stereotypes. The fact that ethnic minorities live in proximity to each other and in many cases lack insurance causes healthcare workers to believe that representatives of these groups are not able to pay for health expenses. The major policy addressing these problems revolves around raising awareness of health inequities and encouraging people to identify racial biases (Fairfax County Health Department, 2022). A more effective modification is to introduce inclusive housing programs, which would facilitate daily recovery of ethnic minorities.
Prince William County
Health Inequities and Resource Disparities
First, there is a health inequity among residents themselves. Specifically, “breast cancer incidence disproportionately affects black women compared to their white counterparts” (Greater Prince William community health assessment, 2019, p. 27). Second, refugee population reports more infection cases than local population does (Greater Prince William community health assessment, 2019, p. 31). There is also a strong concern regarding the quality of food, most of which is not healthy. Even though this problem permeates all populations, health inequities occur due to white people’s easier access to healthcare.
Social Determinants of Health
There is a stark discrepancy between median household incomes for Hispanic and non-Hispanic residents. Hispanic families on average have $ 41,000 less income than white households (Greater Prince William community health assessment, 2019, p. 28). Furthermore, fewer Hispanic young people graduated from educational establishments than their white counterparts did. Access to healthcare is also hindered by the insufficient distribution of residents and physicians.
Root Cause Analysis and County-Specific Policies
Health inequities stem from geographical distribution of ethnic groups in the county. The more Hispanic people live in the area, the less qualitative healthcare in that area will likely be due to insufficient infrastructure. Local policies target statistical deviations by encouraging local communities to organize efforts that would help the vulnerable population receive substantial care (Greater Prince William community health improvement plan, n.d.). A more appropriate modification would be to invest in healthcare infrastructure and open new hospitals and clinics, which would make healthcare more accessible to all groups.
City of Alexandria
Health Inequities and Resource Disparities
The first health inequity in Alexandria is uneven hypertension statistic. African American residents are hospitalized 12 times more often than white people are (City of Alexandria’s Community Health Assessment, 2019, p. 20). Similarly, African American patients are statistically more likely to die from cancer than white patients are (City of Alexandria’s Community Health Assessment, 2019, p. 23). Finally, pregnancies rates for African Americans and Hispanic teen “two to three times higher than that of white teens” (City of Alexandria’s Community Health Assessment, 2019, p. 28). Combined with overall food insecurities, ethnicity-based health disparity in the city is evident.
Social Determinants of Health
The city has unequal living conditions among children of different ethnicities. Specifically, “the percentage of Hispanic children (24%) and Black or African American children (30%) living below the federal poverty level is about eight to nine times the percentage of white children” (City of Alexandria’s Community Health Assessment, 2019, p. 21). Teens with different sexual orientations also experience psychological pressure, which forces those identifying themselves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual to contemplate suicide (City of Alexandria’s Community Health Assessment, 2019, p. 24). Overall, mental health issues are a recurring theme in the City of Alexandria.
Root Cause Analysis and County-Specific Policies
Health inequities are the direct result of inadequate living conditions, in which children of minority ethnicities grow up. Meanwhile, white people with non-heterosexual orientations also experience unequal pressure, which causes higher suicidality in them. Local authorities also recognize this problem, which is why they nurture tolerance among the city’s population (Alexandria’s community health improvement plan, 2025). The policies also recognize and address housing inequalities striving to achieve affordable housing for all groups. The only modification is to improve teen sexual education to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Commonalities and Differences
Commonalities include ethnicity as the major predictor of health inequities in all three counties. In each case, representatives of minorities live in economically worse areas than white people do. In all counties, the vulnerable population is represented by either African Americans or Latinos. These people are more likely to live below the poverty line than white people do. Local authorities address these issues, but the only common theme is raising awareness.
The first difference is response towards health inequities, which is most evident in the city of Alexandria. It is likely that mental health issues affect the entire population, which is why the authorities are so invested in alleviating their situation. The second difference is racial inequities in Prince William County are not as prevalent as in other counties. The reason is likely the larger presence of refugees who are responsible for some statistical deviations.
Conclusion
Altogether, health inequities primarily stem from racial segregation, which is most evident in living conditions. Representatives of color are more likely to live in neighborhoods with low-quality healthcare. They are more likely to live below the poverty line and lack healthcare insurance. The responses of local authorities most often revolve around raising awareness, without actually investing in infrastructure, which is critical in addressing health inequities.
References
Alexandria’s community health improvement plan. (2025). Web.
City of Alexandria’s Community Health Assessment. (2019). Web.
Fairfax County Health Department. (2022). Health Department CY 2022 equity impact plan. Web.
Greater Prince William community health assessment. (2019). Web.
Greater Prince William community health improvement plan. (n.d.). Web.