Introduction

The affluent citizens of this Nation enjoy better health than do its minority and poorer citizens. The most striking health disparities involve shorter life expectancy among the poor, as well as higher rates of cancer, birth defects, infant mortality, asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Although health care access might account for some of this disparity, the differences in environmental and occupational exposures are also thought to play a role. Minority and poorer communities are more likely to live in polluted environments and to work in hazardous occupations. There may also be a disproportionate placement of pollution-intensive industries and hazardous waste sites in low-income and minority communities. Clearly research into the influence of poverty and environmental pollution on human health needs to be encouraged, and the training and support of researchers in this field needs to be increased.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) has been a leader in the area of understanding how poverty, environmental pollution, and health interrelate. The NIEHS has developed a number of projects and grant programs designed to define the health disparities issue and to arm policy makers with the necessary information to reduce these disparities. Additionally the NIEHS has developed innovative grants programs aimed at empowering local communities to deal with the environmental health problems in their regions. Many of these efforts are outlined in this document. For further information on these and other environmental health programs of the NIEHS, the public is encouraged to access the Institute's searchable website at: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/

Also available:

• Print Version of Health Disparities Research Booklet
• Text Version of Health Disparities Research Booklet

• Research Initiatives - Health Disparities