New study sheds light on quality of life of African Americans

A recent research project, carried out by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in conjunction with Ebony magazine, has shed some light on the quality of life for African Americans. The survey included 1,005 African Americans from across the country and probed a myriad of issues including access to healthcare, home ownership, income inequalities, and education.

A vast majority (80%) of respondents reported being satisfied with their overall daily life. Ratings of satisfaction varied by geographical location, with satisfaction levels highest in the west (90% of participants were very satisfied) and lowest in the east (32% of participants were very satisfied). When probed about the state of their finances within the past five years, there were mixed responses from participants. About half (47%) reported that their finances had gotten “somewhat better” while 22% said it had gotten “somewhat worse”

In regards to home ownership, 49% of participants were renters at their current residence and 48% owned the homes that they were currently residing. Home ownership varied across age groups with older respondents reporting owning homes at higher rates compared to younger respondents.  The topic of income inequality was of major concern to most participants. Over half (58%) expressed that they were “very concerned” about the issue of income inequality and this concern varied by geographical location, with participants in the Northeast showing the most concern (75% reported being “very concerned”).

Interestingly, 79% of respondents reported having some form of health care coverage. This number is significant due to the issues surrounding health disparities and limited access to healthcare in the African American community. There were differences in access to healthcare across groups, with higher income and educated individuals reporting more recent routine visits to the hospital.

Adedotun Ogunbajo, Joint Center Graduate Scholar, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health