The identification of behavioural determinants of CVD will aid in the designing of future programs and applications to address these health determinants and reduce risky behaviors. There also exists a need for research aimed at understanding the psychological impact of racial and/or ethnic disparities on CVD health related outcomes. Research in this field could potentially benefit future public health and clinical practices.79
African Americans, and Hispanic Americans account for 13% and 16% of the US population, however, the racial sub-groups only contribute to 9% of the physician populace. Due to the underrepresentation in the workforce, African Americans and Hispanic Americans are more likely to be treated by physicians from different ethnic/racial background compared to Whites.8 Evidence from a comprehensive review supports patient-provider race-concordance and its association with positive health outcomes in minorities.80Similarly, medical education programs can greatly benefit cultural competence of physicians, helping them acquire skills to interact with the marginalised patient groups, subsequently contributing to the elimination of health disparities.79
Conclusion
There exists compelling evidence of the pervasive nature on disparities in cardiovascular health, which are prevalent in population sub-groups defined by race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), subsequently contributing to the adverse impact on quality of life (QOL) and medical outcomes. To eliminate these CVD disparities in minority populations, greater efforts focused on guideline adherence, risk factor control and management are required.