CDC reports on trends in racial and ethnic health disparities

Racial and ethnic differences in life expectancy, infant mortality, female cigarette smoking, flu vaccinations for seniors, and health insurance coverage narrowed between 1999 and 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest annual report on the nation’s health, which features a special section on health disparities. Racial and ethnic differences in the number of low-risk births delivered by cesarean section, flu vaccinations for adults under age 65, and unmet dental care needs widened over the period. “Results indicate that trends in health were generally positive for the overall population and several graphs illustrate success in narrowing gaps in health by racial and ethnic group,” the report notes.