Health Disparities Group Assignment
A wide variety of health conditions differ dramatically between varying groups of people in the US. The cause of those disparities or differences are multi-faceted and are not easily understood, or easily changed. (There are also many stereotypical, but not generally accurate, views about why certain groups are less healthy than others.)
For this assignment, you will be work with a group of classmates to identify the factors that contribute to a particular health disparity, that is, a difference in health status between two groups of people (with the disparity generally based on race, ethnicity, culture, social class, sexual orientation, or some other characteristic which places people in a less privileged position).
For your written assignment, your group will have to identify a range of factors (i.e. reasons) that published research suggests is a potential cause of this health disparity. (
For example: You don’t want to answer the questions: What causes cervical cancer? or why do women get cervical cancer? The question you want to answer is: “What are the causes of the vast difference between cervical cancer rates between Latinx and white women in the US?”
The paper should BEGIN with a short, referenced, overview of existing statistics on the condition or problem (what it is, who has it, how it differs across groups.
The written factoid paper is worth 20 points, broken down as follows:
2. Up to 5 points for correctly cited professional references, and clear/correct writing
3. Up to 5 points for reflecting careful reading and summary of those credible references, in making the case for what each article says about the selected factor
4. Up to 3 points for assuring that there is no bias or stereotyping about a particular group or culture- that is, any generalizations you make are supported by the literature you present
5. Up to 2 points that you have actually addressed the selected factoid of your assignment
Total points: 20
References, length, and requirements
All references should be presented in a SINGLE list, using a SINGLE consistent referencing style (APA )Whatever style you choose should be consistent throughout the paper and the reference list.
We use “turn-it-in” to check for plagiarism and assure that you have properly paraphrased and re-written others’ words. Be careful about cutting and pasting, to assure that you have rewritten or paraphrased others’ writing.
Your references should be peer-reviewed journal articles, professional literature, government or reputable non-profit organizations, and all sources should be cited. You will likely have 4-6 references for each of the factors that you’ve identified.
There should be a brief introduction that indicates the nature of the problem (e.g. “X % of Americans have blah blah blah. However, there are vast differences between various groups. X% of African- Americans…. while only X% of non-hispanic White americans…”) Let the reader know that you understand the problem and the disparit
Textbooks and Resources
Required Textbooks
The following books are required for this course:
Manning, G., & Curtis, K. (2019). The art of leadership (6th ed.). NY, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
This textbook is available as an e-book and can be accessed from the module view.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000