The AC Blog

In Day 7 we talked about some of the negative mental health outcomes caused by racism (remember, you can go back at any time to view previous days of the Racial Equity Challenge here).

Today, we will go deeper into how overall health is dramatically impacted by racism and discrimination. As explained in this report by Common Ground Health, social determinants of health—the conditions in which people are born, live work, and age—account for 80% of a person’s health and wellness (while just 20% is attributed to clinical or medical care).

Some examples of social determinants of health include economic factors like job status, income, and medical bills; living conditions including housing, access to transportation, safety, and access to parks and playgrounds; educational opportunities like early childhood support, literacy, and access to training; access to healthy food; social support and levels of stress; and quality of health care.

Throughout this Challenge we have explored (and will continue to examine) ways in which racism and discrimination affect social, economic, and environmental factors. With social determinants of health being impacted by racism at every turn, health status is challenged and life expectancy is drastically lower for communities of color than for their white counterparts.

Achieving health equity goes hand-in-hand with addressing racism and discrimination. Check out the content and self-reflections below to learn more about how race impacts health.

A child born today in Pittsford’s 14534 ZIP code will live up to nine years longer than a child born in the City of Rochester’s 14608 ZIP code.

–Common Ground Health

Option 1: Read Implicit Bias and Racial Disparities in Health Care

Option 2: Watch How Racism Makes Us Sick

The 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge does not support nor endorse any advertisements associated with the above content.

Use the images below to share what you learned about race and equity today, and be sure to include #ROCequity.