A Competency-Based Framework for Health Education Specialist - 2015
by
National Commission for Health Education Credentialing
The Health Education Specialist - Seventh Edition
by
Sigrid Deeds, National Commission for Health Education Credentialing
Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. Populations can be defined by factors such as race or ethnicity, gender, education or income, disability, geographic location (e.g., rural or urban), or sexual orientation. Health disparities are inequitable and are directly related to the historical and current unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources.
--Definition from Community Health and Program Services (CHAPS): Health Disparities Among Racial/Ethnic Populations.