With extensive new data, Donald A. Barr illuminates the ways low socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity interact to create and perpetuate health disparities in the United States. This thoroughly updated edition focuses on a new challenge the United States last experienced more than half a century ago: successive years of declining life expectancy. Barr addresses the causes of this decline, including what are commonly referred to as "deaths of despair"--Opiate overdose or suicide. Exploring the growing role geography plays in health disparities, Barr asks why people living in rural areas suffer the greatest increases in these deaths. He also analyzes recent changes under the Affordable Care Act and considers the literature on how race and ethnicity affect the way health care providers evaluate and treat patients.

Introduction to the social roots of health disparities -- What is "health"? how should we define it? how should we measure it? -- Socioeconomic status and health, or, "they call it 'poor health' for a reason"--How low social status leads to poor health -- Race, ethnicity, and health -- Race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and health : which is more important in affecting health status? -- Children's health disparities -- All things being equal, does race/ethnicity affect how physicians treat patients? -- Why does race/ethnicity affect the way physicians treat patients? -- When, if ever, is it appropriate to use a patient's race/ethnicity to guide medical decisions? -- What should we do to reduce health disparities?