The Problem
As studies have revealed, an individual's geographic location can greatly alter one’s attainment of a healthy lifestyle, with increasing evidence to suggest that the state of one’s environment in which one lives, works, and plays can harbor several substantial consequences on one’s wellbeing (For the Sake of All, 2015, p. 27). Symbolic of this ideology are the stark racial divisions spotted in St. Louis’s metropolitan areas, where an individual’s ZIP code can engender remarkable variations in the longevity of their life expectancy status. As displayed in the figures below, babies born within specific areas interspersed throughout St. Louis have striking variability in their life expectancy (Cambria et al., 2018, p. 5). For example, infants born near 63106 within the Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood can reasonably anticipate to live “18 fewer years than a child born in 63105 (Clayton), 15 fewer years than a child born in 63017 (Chesterfield), 14 fewer years than children born in 63122 (Kirkwood) and 63109 (St. Louis Hills), and 3 fewer years than a child born in 63133 (Pagedale/ Wellston)” (For the Sake of All, 2015, p. 27).
Health is a pivotal component toward establishing the concept of human well-being. Maintaining and ensuring adequate health grants one the ability to seize the opportunities of everyday life and to provide contributions to their community (For the Sake of All, 2015, p. 46), but when someone’s health begins to slowly dwindle and availability to medical care is insufficient, how do we account for these disparities, and what impact do they impose upon the individuals living in these segregated zones?
Chronic Diseases
Throughout St. Louis, chronic disease is a pervasive issue spanning across various regions of the city, unequivocally and disproportionately affecting communities of color. The following figure shows the rate of chronic conditions affecting African Americans versus Caucasians throughout St. Louis City.
Disproportionately existing as a multifaceted problem in predominantly African American communities throughout St. Louis, organizations and groups have demanded that new approaches be created that "offer a clear framework for preventing violence and addressing its negative heath, economic, and other social consequences” (For the Sake of All, 2015, p. 62).
Violence and Injury
Mental Health
The existence of segregation and inequity in resources within St. Louis augments the intensity of mental health conditions occurring in African American residents, denoting yet another profound health disparity, mandating immediate attention and support from policymakers and healthcare professionals alike. The diagram to the left reveals emergency room visit rates by race in St. Louis due to mental health concerns.
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Maternal and Child Health
Because a plethora of factors can influence pregnancy and childbirth, other medical experts have argued that improving access to prenatal care and maternal and pediatric health within various regions throughout St. Louis provides a critical solution toward enhancing the health and wellbeing of African Americans living within these communities and aids in reducing another facet of racial disparity within healthcare.