A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that more Black Americans say their health has improved over the past two decades than say it has worsened. Additionally, a majority of Black adults say their recent experience with the health care system has been positive.
But at the same time, Black Americans have broader structural concerns about health care in the United States and experience disparities in outcomes. for example, cancer mortality rate and maternal mortality rate higher for black Americans than for white Americans.
Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to uncover Black Americans' attitudes and experiences with health care. We surveyed 14,497 U.S. adults from November 30 to December 12, 2021, including 3,546 Black adults (including those who identify as single-racial, multiracial, and Black-Hispanic) conducted a survey.
The survey was conducted by the center's American Trends Panel (ATP) and included an oversample of black and Hispanic adults from the Ipsos Knowledge Panel. Respondents for both panels are recruited through a nationwide random sampling of residential addresses. In this way, nearly every American adult has the opportunity to choose. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education, and other categories. Learn more about ATP's methodology here.
Below are the survey questions and answers used in this analysis, as well as the methodology.
This study was reported by a group of advisors with expertise related to the attitudes and experiences of Black and Hispanic Americans in science, health, STEM education, and other fields. Pew Research Center is solely responsible for all aspects of its research, including any errors associated with its products or findings.
Here are five key facts about Black Americans' attitudes and experiences with health care, based on the Center's 2021 survey.
Recent experiences of black Americans with the U.S. health care system have been largely positive. About six (61%) of Black adults say the care they recently received was excellent (25%) or very good (36%), and an additional 25% said it was good. And about half (51%) said their out-of-pocket costs for that care were “about fair.”
However, these ideas vary depending on your income. About three-quarters (73%) of high-income Black adults say their immediate care is excellent or very good, compared to 66% of middle-income people and 55% of low-income people. %. Also, 67% of high-income black adults said their out-of-pocket medical costs were about fair, compared to 46% of low-income black adults.
Still, a majority of Black adults (55%) say they have had at least one negative interaction with a doctor or other health care provider. For example, 4 in 10 people said they had to speak up to receive proper care, making it the most common type of negative interaction asked in the 2021 survey. I am. About one-third say their pain was not taken seriously (35%) or that their health care provider rushed them (32%).
Black Americans' responses to these questions are not significantly different from those of U.S. adults overall. For example, 41% of all adults said they had to speak up to receive proper care, and 32% said their pain was not taken seriously.
Among Black Americans, young women are the most likely to say they have had a negative experience with a health care provider. For example, 52% of Black women between the ages of 18 and 49 say they have had to speak up to receive proper care. This compares to 40% of black women over 50, 36% of black men over 50, and 29% of black men between 18 and 49.
Overall, 71% of Black women ages 18 to 49 say they have had at least one negative interaction with a health care provider, compared to 54% of Black women ages 50 and older. , 51% and 43% of black men over 50, respectively. (The woman was asked about a total of 7 experiences, including those related to women's health, and the man was asked about his 6 experiences.Analyzing only his 6 experiences, both of which were asked about, we find that by age and gender differences remain) between men and women. )
Young Black women also want to see Black health care providers, and believe that Black health care providers look out for their interests more than other health care providers and provide the highest quality of care. They are most likely to say that they are superior in that respect.
Black Americans generally cite lack of access to quality health care as the main reason they have poorer health than other people. More than six in ten (63%) Black adults say less access to care is the main reason for these disparities, and an additional 22% say it's a minor reason. . Research shows that number tends to be lower. primary care physician, trauma center, pharmacy and New coronavirus vaccination center Near where black Americans live.
About half or more of black adults also cite several other factors as key reasons why black Americans tend to have worse health outcomes. For example, 52% said the main reason is because Black people live in areas with more environmental problems, and 51% said the main reason is because Black people are more likely to have pre-existing health conditions. I am.
Black adults with higher levels of education are more likely to identify these and several other factors as primary reasons than Black adults with lower levels of education.
Most Black Americans say it doesn't make much of a difference to them whether they see a Black health care provider or not. More than 6 in 10 (64%) say this. However, 31% said they would prefer a Black provider, including 14% who said they would prefer a Black provider. strongly This is better. Only 4% of people want to do not have To check the black provider.
These views do not differ significantly depending on whether Black Americans have seen a Black health care provider in the past. The proportion of Black adults who preferred a Black health care provider was similar among those who had previously visited a health care provider (32%) and those who had never visited a health care provider (30%).
However, Black health care workers are underrepresented in the health care industry, and those who prefer Black health care providers can have difficulty finding and making appointments. Only 5% of the nation's physicians and surgeons are black, and the same is true for physician assistants.Overall, black Americans are about 14% of the country's population.
Note: Here, Survey questions used for this analysisalong with the response, The methodology.
alec tyson He is the associate director of research at the Pew Research Center.
mark hugo lopez He is the director of race and ethnic studies at the Pew Research Center.
