Macrosocial and environmental influences on minority health.

Ethnic minority populations show patterns of health, health care use, and mortality that differ from the overall U.S. population. Each of the broad groups of minorities (Asian Hispanic, Native, and African Americans) has a unique background of sociocultural factors that influence these patterns. Thus, the larger social environment for ethnic populations, including political, environmental, historical, and economic factors, is a major variable in possible health outcomes. The individual portions in this panel report of the conference seek to identify such factors for each ethnic group and to suggest those macrosocial influences that are most important for observed health effects.