| Home > Resources > Leadership > Executive Summary > Case Studies Case Study Social and Economic Disparities Influence Public Responses to Bioattacks Social and economic disparities can influence attitudes and behavior following a bioterrorist attack. Distrust of the healthcare system and lack of insurance influence people's decisions about whether to follow health recommendations or seek medical care. These attitudes are not without merit. One in every 7 Americans lacks health insurance, with minorities over-represented. Moreover, past events—such as experimentation on slaves and the Tuskegee syphilis study—and today's findings that race/ethnicity can adversely affect the standard of care received have led many African-Americans to distrust medical and public health institutions. Language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and fear of deportation among undocumented immigrants cause other populations to regard the medical system with suspicion. These factors render these populations more vulnerable to the effects of an outbreak.
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