VOA标准英语2010-Death Rates Higher in Non-White American

A new study finds racial and ethnic¹ disparities in children's health are pervasive² in the United States.

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Policy Statement on Health Equity³ and Children's Rights

Asian, African-American, Hispanic, and Native American children in the United States have higher rates of death and more illness compared to their white classmates.

That's the finding in a new study that analyzed⁴ data from more than 750 published studies conducted over the past 50 years on children's health and health care disparities.

"Racial and ethnic disparities in children's health are quite extensive, pervasive and persistent," says Dr. Glenn Flores, a pediatrician at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the report's lead author.

Disparity in all areas of health

Flores says these differences between minority kids and Caucasians were noted⁵ across the spectrum⁶ of health and health care, including mortality, access to care and use of services, prevention, population health, health status, adolescent health, chronic⁷ diseases, special health care needs and organ transplantation.

In addition, the study revealed that minority children had a higher incidence of HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, asthma⁸, certain cancers, and even success rates for treatment of kidney and heart diseases.

These differences led to disproportionate death rates. "Mortality disparities were noted for all four major U.S. racial and ethnic minorities groups," says Flores.

What was particularly disconcerting to Flores was that even when studies were adjusted for such things as income, the differences remained.

Recognizing disparity as a problem

The pediatrician says the explanation for these differences is not apparent because clear and consistent data are not available.

"Optimal⁹ health and health care for all children will require recognition of disparities as pervasive problems, methodological sound disparity studies, and rigorous evaluation¹⁰ of disparities intervention," he says.

Flores' study appears in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics.
 

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

3 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

4 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

7 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

8 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

9 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

10 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。