An experienced administrator in research and advisement, Aisha Sylvain has served since April, 2020 as director of member development with Washington, DC’s Health Management Academy. Aisha Sylvain has a professional focus on health disparity and inequity issues in underserved communities of color. These terms, health disparity and equity, are further described below.
A health disparity refers to a specific gap in disease burden or medical outcome between demographic groups or communities of people. Health equity, in contrast, refers to specific factors that cause a different outcome between the groups.
For example, a health disparity occurs where people of color contract a specific disease at a rate that is significantly higher than in the white population. Typical examples of an imbalance in health equity result from social factors, such as a lack of financial or educational resources, fewer job opportunities, an unsafe neighborhood, or poor nutrition.
A health disparity refers to a specific gap in disease burden or medical outcome between demographic groups or communities of people. Health equity, in contrast, refers to specific factors that cause a different outcome between the groups.
For example, a health disparity occurs where people of color contract a specific disease at a rate that is significantly higher than in the white population. Typical examples of an imbalance in health equity result from social factors, such as a lack of financial or educational resources, fewer job opportunities, an unsafe neighborhood, or poor nutrition.
