Analysis of Health Disparities

This course is designed to introduce students to the study of racial and ethnic disparities in health within the United States. It focuses primarily on three groups—non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic populations—while acknowledging the limitations of these broad categories. The course begins with a theoretical foundation, using the human capital model of health and healthcare demand, and integrates sociological perspectives to help students understand the causes and consequences of disparities. Students will explore how health differences evolve across the life course, from birth to old age, and examine key illnesses that contribute to unequal health outcomes.

The curriculum emphasizes both conceptual and empirical approaches. Students will learn to critically evaluate research and policy interventions aimed at reducing disparities, with attention to factors such as socioeconomic status, access to care, discrimination, and systemic racism. Assignments are structured to encourage engagement with data, theory, and evidence, often requiring students to use AI tools for pre-writing tasks like data collection and summarization, while reserving critical analysis for independent work. This dual approach ensures that students gain both technical skills in handling health data and analytical skills in interpreting evidence within theoretical frameworks.

Ultimately, the course aims to provide students with a strong foundation for further study and research in public health, economics, and sociology. By combining theory, empirical evidence, and policy evaluation, students will develop the ability to assess the magnitude of racial and ethnic health disparities, understand their underlying causes, and propose informed solutions. The course also contributes to the broader curriculum by reinforcing microeconomic principles, statistical methods, and program evaluation techniques, while deepening students’ understanding of diversity and its intersection with health systems.

This course was previously named Race and Ethnic Differences in Health: Epidemiology, Behavior and Policy.