Disease prevention programs for racial and ethnic minorities

Many studies show a dramatic relationship between socioeconomic status and disease incidence. Clear racial and ethnic disparities also exist in the occurrence of diseases such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), tuberculosis and syphilis. Consequently, to identify true risk factors for diseases when planning prevention programs, the effect of socioeconomic status must be differentiated from that of race or ethnicity. Further, different cultural heritages and social structures may affect how interventions are perceived or used and this must also be taken into account when planning programs. The Centers for Disease Control, through its National Center for Prevention Services, provides financial and technical assistance to state and local health departments to develop approaches that are culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate to reach persons in racial and ethnic minority groups.