Health Equity

The American Heart Association has declared structural racism as a cause of poor health and premature death from heart disease and stroke, recognizing that a person’s race or ethnicity can increase a person’s chance of suffering a heart attack or stroke—or surviving it. Social determinants of health have been found to drastically affect cardiovascular outcomes. Social determinants of health are multifactorial and can be found at the individual, interpersonal, and community level.  

Social determinants of health can be the main determining factor for clinical outcomes. An example of their impact can be seen in current estimates, finding that patients of racial/ethnic minority populations may be twice as likely as their white peers to report medication access issues due to prescription costs. Health equity barriers persist, and nurses are poised to work with patients, families, and caregivers to overcome social determinants of health and achieve equitable health for all.