"People tend to think medical care is the most important driver of health
outcomes," Woolf said. "Much more important factors are social
determinants: poverty, education, racial and ethnic background."

----------------------------------------

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190572941&path=!news&s=1045855934842

Data show Petersburg, Richmond fare poorly
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Longevity data show Petersburg and Richmond among the 25 U.S. cities with
the lowest life expectancy -- 69.6 and 71.1 years respectively.

"Socioeconomics and race together account for a large part of the
differences in health status that are seen in communities like ours," said
Dr. Steven H. Woolf, professor and director of research at the Virginia
Commonwealth University Department of Family Medicine and a member of the
National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine.

"People tend to think medical care is the most important driver of health
outcomes," Woolf said. "Much more important factors are social
determinants: poverty, education, racial and ethnic background.

"And to make matters worse, in urban communities, especially low-income
urban communities, tobacco companies and alcohol makers target these
populations to sell their products. There is a low prevalence of
supermarkets that offer healthy food choices and a higher prevalence of
fast-food places."

Woolf said homicide rates cannot explain the shorter life expectancy among
black males -- "That is not the major thing going on."

One factor, he said, is a higher prevalence of chronic diseases, such as
high blood pressure, that occur later in life.

"Some of the more disadvantaged populations have gaps in life expectancy
that are not unlike what we see in developing countries," Woolf said.

Woolf is lead author of a scholarly paper published recently that examined
U.S. Census figures and poverty. The research concluded that the percentage
of people living in severe poverty in the U.S. has climbed sharply since
2000.

Karen Reed, minority health manager at the Virginia Department of Health,
said a number of state-supported initiatives address health disparities.

For instance, a program targeting oral cancer in black men involves
disseminating information through barber shops.

Some upcoming programs addressing health disparities include:


South Central Perinatal Council, "Bridging the Gap: A Perinatal Conference
That Explores Racial Disparities," Oct. 12-13 in Lynchburg.


Latino Health Summit: Latino Cultures and Beliefs in Health Care, Nov.
16-17, Richmond.

For more information, click on www.vdh.state.va.us. --Tammie Smith

This story can be found at:
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190572941&path=!news&s=1045855934842

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