Section I of this paper discusses disparities currently existing among different race and ethnic groups and the barriers African Americans are facing on broadband adoption. A set of policy recommendations to increase broadband adoption among minorities are illustrated in Section II with three case studies. Section II also recommends ways broadband could be used to improve healthcare, education and employment. The last section details the call for action from African American elected officials committed to helping government and industry overcome these barriers and increase sustainable broadband adoption for African Americans.

Date Published: September 2009

This fact sheet offers data on the use of contraceptives by African American adolescents, particularly when compared to their white counterparts. More on these findings can be found in The Reproductive Health of African American Adolescents: What We Know and What We Don't Know.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

This issue brief identifies, analyzes and compares provisions which explicitly address the health and health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities within the two leading Congressional health care reform proposals: The Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3962) passed in the House of Representatives on November 7, 2009; and The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009 (H.R. 3590) introduced in the Senate on November 18, 2009, as a merged version of the Senate Finance Committee’s America’s Health Future Act (S.1796) and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’ (HELP) Affordable Health Choices Act (S. 1697). Additionally, this issue brief explores the potential implications of broad health care reforms for racial and ethnic minorities. Also discussed is how each bill could decrease disparities and improve minority health, where each falls short in advancing these goals, as well as the transitional challenges and questions for the future should health care reform legislation be enacted.

Available in PDF format only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

To better understand the issues and to inform its deliberation in formulating recommendations for policy, research, and practice, the Infant Mortality Commission asked experts in various fields related to maternal and child health and infant mortality to prepare background papers on specific issues. This background paper explores the relationship between maternal nutrition and infant mortality, with an emphasis on the context of relationality. It provides an analysis of the relationship between maternal nutrition and leading causes of infant mortality, as well as maternal, infant, and child health; an overview of the nutritional status and behaviors of pregnant women in the U.S.; and a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of nutritional supplementation programs in pregnancy. The final chapters reframe the relationship between maternal nutrition and infant mortality within the context of relationality over the life course and offer related recommendations for research, policy, and practice. This analysis complements and reinforces the recommendations of other Courage to Love: Infant Mortality Commission background and framing papers on infant mortality and resilience; the role of breastfeeding in maternal and infant health; the historical framework of policies and practices to reduce infant mortality; the authentic voices of those affected by infant mortality; and infant mortality in a global context.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

Men of color face many challenges in achieving and maintaining good health. Their social circumstances and cultural norms, as well as the larger society’s discriminatory treatment of them, often engender in these men unhealthful responses. When social circumstances include poverty, limited education, and scarce employment opportunities, the impact on health can be especially harmful. This brief provides an overview of factors that influence the health and longevity of men of color in the United States, and makes policy recommendations for improving their health status.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies analyzed selected child health indicators [low birthweight, health status (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor or unknown), unmet dental care needs, ADHD/ADD diagnosis, asthma diagnosis, learning disability diagnosis, and activity limitation] by sociodemographic characteristics of the families in which children reside. This brief examines disparities in diagnosing ADHD/ADD and learning disability among children under the age of 18 who are African American, Hispanic or white. Comparisons of the frequency with which diagnoses were received are made between the racial/ethnic groups of children overall and between children of various racial/ethnic groups in families with comparable sociodemographic characteristics (such as family type, educational attainment of householder, employment status of household, poverty status, and health insurance coverage). Hispanic children were found to be less likely than both white children and black children to have received a diagnosis of either condition, although interpreting the meaning of this disparity is complicated by the challenges associated with diagnosing neuro-behavioral conditions such as ADHD/ADD and learning disability.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies analyzed selected child health indicators [low birthweight, health status (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor or unknown), unmet dental care needs, ADHD/ADD diagnosis, asthma diagnosis, learning disability diagnosis, and activity limitation] by sociodemographic characteristics of the families in which children reside. This brief examines disparities in the reporting of unmet dental care needs (due to cost) during the past 12 months among children under the age of 18 who are African American, Hispanic or white. Comparisons of unmet dental care needs are made between the racial/ethnic groups of children overall and between children of various racial/ethnic groups in families with comparable sociodemographic characteristics (such as family type, educational attainment of householder, employment status of household, poverty status, and health insurance coverage). Hispanic children are most likely to report unmet dental care needs due to cost.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies undertook an examination of how selected child health indicators (low birthweight, health status (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor or unknown), unmet dental care needs, ADHD/ADD diagnosis, asthma diagnosis, learning disability diagnosis, and activity limitation) vary by sociodemographic characteristics. This brief examines disparities in the prevalence of a lifetime asthma diagnosis among children under the age of 18 who are African American, Hispanic or white. Comparisons of asthma frequency are made between the racial/ethnic groups of children overall and between children of various racial/ethnic groups in families with comparable sociodemographic characteristics (such as family type, educational attainment of householder, employment status of household, poverty status, and health insurance coverage).

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

This brief examines the rates of activity limitation among children under the age of 18 who are African American, Hispanic or white. The data analyzed in this brief relate to children who were reported as having any activity limitation, without specific information as to the cause or severity of the limitation. This analysis makes comparisons between the racial/ethnic groups of children overall and between children of various racial/ethnic groups in families with comparable sociodemographic characteristics.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

To provide fuller detail on disparities in child health, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies undertook an examination of how selected child health indicators vary by sociodemographic characteristics such as family type, educational attainment of householder, employment status of household, poverty status, and health insurance coverage. This brief examines disparities in the prevalence of reported low birthweight among children under the age of 18 who are African American, Hispanic or white. Comparisons of low-birthweight frequency are made between the racial/ethnic groups of children overall and between children of various racial/ethnic groups in families with comparable sociodemographic characteristics.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.