Health disparities in Milwaukee by socioeconomic status. WMJ 2007 Oct;106(7):366-72
Date
11/23/2007Pubmed ID
18030822Scopus ID
2-s2.0-35848944637 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 31 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: In 2006, the city of Milwaukee ranked worse than any Wisconsin county for health outcomes and worse than all but 1 county for health determinants.
METHODS: To further examine disparities in health, Milwaukee city ZIP codes were stratified into 3 groups (lower, middle, and upper) by socioeconomic status (SES). Health determinants (15 measures) and health outcomes (2 measures) were compared across these ZIP code groups, and to the rest of Wisconsin.
RESULTS: The risk ratio for the lower SES group in comparison to the upper SES group was at least 2.0 for 5 of the 17 measures examined, and was at least 1.5 for 13 of the 17 measures. The upper SES group in Milwaukee, while the healthiest in the city, was worse than the state average in 6 measures.
CONCLUSIONS: Large health disparities within the city of Milwaukee are associated with geographic regions of differing socioeconomic status. As the state's largest urban center, Milwaukee's relatively poor health and significant health disparities have a considerable impact on the overall health of the state. To improve population health in Wisconsin, substantial efforts and resources are needed to address these disparities, and their related upstream factors.
Author List
Vila PM, Swain GR, Baumgardner DJ, Halsmer SE, Remington PL, Cisler RAAuthor
Ron Cisler PhD Professor in the Health Informatics & Administration, Public Health department at University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
DemographyEducational Status
Female
Health Behavior
Health Status Disparities
Humans
Income
Male
Mortality
Risk Factors
Social Class
Urban Health
Wisconsin
