Final answer:
Factors contributing to racial health disparities include access to healthcare, socioeconomic status, health behaviors, neighborhood resources, discriminatory institutional practices, and systemic racism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Racial health disparities in the United States exist at multiple ecological levels. At the individual level, factors such as access to healthcare, socioeconomic status, and health behaviors contribute to these disparities. For example, individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups may face barriers in accessing quality healthcare, which can lead to poorer health outcomes. At the community level, factors such as neighborhood resources, environmental exposures, and social determinants of health can contribute to disparities.
For instance, communities with limited access to grocery stores and safe outdoor spaces may have higher rates of obesity and chronic disease. Institutional factors, such as discriminatory policies and practices within healthcare organizations, can also contribute to disparities. Finally, systemic factors, including historical and ongoing racism and discrimination, shape health disparities at the societal level. These factors interact and compound one another, leading to unequal health outcomes among racial and ethnic groups.