• Shital Kamble and A Suzanne Boyd.
• The University of North Carolina, Charlotte, College of Health and Human Services, Room# 433, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA. skamble@uncc.edu
• J Cult Divers. 2008 Jan 1; 15 (3): 132-42.

AbstractThis review of minority health describes the existing health disparities, the barriers to healthcare access and utilization, the role of three social determinants of health [i.e., (1) socioeconomic status, (2) education, and (3) stress and/or depression], the existing public-policies; and a health literacy strategy addressing social determinants of health to reduce disparities and improve outcomes in African-American women undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Insurance, geography, facility-types, physician referral-bias, and cultural-differences pose as potential significant barriers to healthcare access and utilization. Likewise, lower socioeconomic-status, lack of education, and higher stress and/or depression is associated with adverse health-outcomes for this population. Although the elimination of health disparities is a national priority, comprehensive educational approaches focusing on cross-cultural communication, language barriers, cultural-sensitivity, and cultural-competence are needed.

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