Health disparities are differences that occur by gender, race and ethnicity, education level, income level, disability, or geographic location. Health disparities exist among all age groups, including among children and adolescents. For example, low-income and children of color lag behind their more affl uent and White peers in terms of health status. Children lower in the socioeconomic hierarchy suffer disproportionately from almost every disease and show higher rates of mortality than those above them.[1] Low-income children have higher rates of mortality[2] and are more likely to have greater severity of disability[3] even with the same type of disability[4] and to.
