A survey by the University of Iowa Public Policy Center revealed that among Iowa children, African-Americans and Latinos experience a higher rate of health care disparities than white and Asian children. These disparities include lower health status, lower quality of care, higher unmet need for care, more food insecurity, a higher likelihood to seek care from a hospital emergency room, and fewer safe and supportive neighborhoods.

This study is one of a series of seven from the 2010 Iowa Child and Family Household Health Survey (IHHS). To read the full report titled "Health Disparities Among Children in Iowa," visit here.

The findings of the survey point to issues related directly to the health care system (delivery and financing), as well as social determinants of health, which include social attitudes, exposure to crime, socioeconomic conditions, and others. Studies have indicated that these factors, combined with environmental factors and genetics, account for 90 percent of what most affects health status, while health care delivery and financing only account for 10 percent.

A webinar about the study will be held on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 1 p.m. (CST). A webinar seat can be reserved at this website.

The 2010 IHHS was the third comprehensive, statewide effort to evaluate the health status, access to health care, and social environment of children in families in Iowa. The first IHHS was conducted in 2000.

The 2010 IHHS was a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), the UI Public Policy Center, and the Child Health Specialty Clinics. Funding was provided primarily by the IDPH, with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Maternal and Child Health Bureau, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.