ABSTRACT:In recent years, there have been numerous studies looking at the health care disparities of racial and ethnic populations in the United States. When attempting to research health care disparities in the United States, questions arise with regards to the conceptualization of race and ethnicity. One of the greatest challenges confronting those who seek to improve the physical and mental health of underserved groups is the fact that many of the people most in need of care often have different understandings of health, the body, diet, and how to interact with institutions who deliver health care services. In many cases there are cultural and language differences, as well as geographic, and limited resources of clients that act as further barriers to quality health care for African American women. When evaluating solutions to these problems, it is important to explore the intersections of race, gender and class, as well as the differences that may exist in terms of mental and physical health of women of color.This quantitative study examines a sub-sample of African American women from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) 2001-2004, a study on racial and ethnic differences in mental and psychological conditions as well as a comparison of health service utilization. The data examines variables of race, age, education levels, discrimination, employment status, stress, and depression.The results of this analysis indicates that there is a strong correlation between chronic health conditions, age and utilization of health care services. Multiple regression analysis shows that black women are less likely to use health services than white women, and older black women in particular are less likely to utilize health care services. Discrimination was shown to be significant in determining depression among black women, and stress is positively associated with higher levels of stress. However, discrimination and stress are not significant predictors of health services usage among black women.
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