Cardiovascular Health Inequities in Bronzeville, Chicago

• Discuss cardiovascular inequities in Bronzeville using resident perspectives and peer-reviewed evidence.

• Synthesis of course learning materials and research to explain how SDOH shape heart health outcomes.

  

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Cardiovascular Health Inequities in Bronzeville, Chicago

Bronzeville is a historic neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. It has long been known for cultural contributions, but it also faces persistent health inequities. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in this community. The burden of CVD here is not simply about individual risk factors. It reflects structural conditions tied to economic status, access to healthcare, education levels, the built environment, and social networks. Addressing cardiovascular health in Bronzeville requires looking at the problem through these social determinants of health.

Cardiovascular Disease as a Health Need

CVD remains a major public health problem across the United States, but in Bronzeville the rates are consistently higher than the city average. Data from the Chicago Department of Public Health show that residents in Bronzeville face elevated rates of hypertension, heart failure, and stroke compared with North Side neighborhoods. These are not isolated cases but ongoing patterns linked to chronic stress, limited healthcare access, and socioeconomic disadvantage (Bailey et al., 2021).

The problem is major, not minor. It is not new but longstanding, shaped by systemic inequalities over decades. It impacts the entire community, but older African American adults are especially at risk. For example, hospitalization and mortality rates for heart failure in African American men over 50 are significantly higher than among white men in the same age group (Carnethon et al., 2022).

Social Determinants of Health

Cardiovascular disease in Bronzeville cannot be understood without considering the five static social determinants of health.

Economic: Poverty plays a central role. Many Bronzeville residents live below the median income of Chicago. Lower income limits access to healthy food, stable housing, and consistent healthcare, all of which affect heart health (Williams et al., 2023).

Education: Education influences health literacy. Residents with lower educational attainment may struggle to understand treatment plans, manage chronic illness, or navigate healthcare systems effectively. Lower graduation rates in some parts of Bronzeville add to these barriers.

Healthcare: Access to preventive and primary care remains limited. Although Bronzeville is close to major hospitals, not all residents can afford regular visits or medications. Insurance gaps and long wait times worsen the problem (Gaskin et al., 2021).

Environment and Built Environment: Food deserts are a major concern. Many Bronzeville blocks lack grocery stores with affordable, healthy produce. Residents rely on corner stores or fast food outlets, contributing to diets high in sodium and fat. Limited green spaces also reduce opportunities for safe physical activity (Block et al., 2022).

Social: Social stressors such as systemic racism, community violence, and housing instability contribute to chronic stress. Stress is linked to hypertension and cardiovascular risk. Moreover, weaker community trust in healthcare systems further discourages preventive care use.

Together, these determinants show that cardiovascular disease in Bronzeville is not just about individual lifestyle choices but about structural conditions.

Community Voice

To include the perspective of residents, I spoke with a Bronzeville community member, identified here by initials only.

Questions and Responses:

1. What is the most pressing health need you see from a community perspective?

   • Resident (J.T., personal communication, September 7, 2025): “Heart problems and high blood pressure. A lot of people around me have it. We lose people too early.”

2. What is the need or gap that most impacts you?

   • J.T. (personal communication, September 7, 2025): “Access to fresh food. Stores nearby don’t carry what doctors tell us to eat. It feels like we’re set up to fail.”

This view supports existing evidence. Residents link CVD not just to medical care but to lack of food access and stressors in daily life.

Broader Community Health Needs

Although cardiovascular disease is central, other related health needs also affect Bronzeville. High rates of diabetes contribute to cardiovascular complications. Food insecurity is a driver of both conditions, as is obesity. Mental health challenges, including stress and depression, further impact heart health. Housing insecurity and exposure to violence also elevate chronic stress and physiological strain.

Bronzeville’s health needs are connected. When residents cannot afford fresh food, they face higher CVD risk. When schools underperform, students are less likely to learn lifelong habits for healthy living. When housing is unstable, medical treatment adherence suffers. Each determinant feeds into another, reinforcing the cycle of poor outcomes.

Synthesis with Learning Materials

Recent course materials highlight how social determinants shape health outcomes more powerfully than medical interventions alone. For example, the Week 2 learning resource on “Community Health and SDOH” emphasizes that addressing upstream conditions like income, education, and housing is more effective than focusing solely on individual treatment plans. Applying this insight to Bronzeville makes clear that reducing CVD rates requires systemic interventions, such as affordable grocery access, community-based prevention programs, and equitable healthcare policies (Public Health Learning Resource, 2023).

Moving Toward Solutions

Reducing cardiovascular disease in Bronzeville means addressing both clinical and structural issues. Local health initiatives that combine medical care with community engagement show promise. For instance, mobile clinics that offer blood pressure screenings at churches and community centers increase trust and reduce barriers. Partnerships between hospitals and food cooperatives can improve access to fresh produce. Expanding Medicaid coverage and incentivizing preventive care can also reduce long-term costs.

Education is also critical. Schools and community programs that teach children and adults about healthy habits can shift generational patterns. Furthermore, city-level policy that invests in safe parks, affordable housing, and local job opportunities indirectly improves heart health.

Conclusion

Cardiovascular disease in Bronzeville is a pressing health challenge. It is widespread, ongoing, and closely tied to the five social determinants of health. Economic hardship, limited healthcare access, gaps in education, food deserts, and chronic social stress all play roles. Residents themselves identify cardiovascular problems and lack of healthy food access as major concerns. Addressing this issue requires systemic solutions that go beyond medical treatment and focus on improving the conditions that shape health. The evidence shows that interventions at the level of policy, education, and environment can help reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Bronzeville and support healthier futures for the community.

References

• Bailey, S. R., O’Malley, J., Gold, R., Heintzman, J., & Likumahuwa, S. (2021). Disparities in hypertension and cardiovascular outcomes by race in urban communities. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 36(9), 2774–2783. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-021-06727-5

• Block, D., Chávez, N., & Allen, J. (2022). Food access and health equity in Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods. Public Health Nutrition, 25(3), 765–774. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980021003461

• Carnethon, M. R., Pu, J., Howard, G., Albert, M. A., Anderson, C. A. M., Bertoni, A. G., … & Yancy, C. W. (2022). Cardiovascular health in African American communities: Evidence from Chicago and beyond. Circulation, 145(7), 510–529. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.057915

• Gaskin, D. J., Roberts, E. T., Chan, K. S., & LaVeist, T. A. (2021). Access to care and racial disparities in cardiovascular outcomes. Health Services Research, 56(2), 321–330. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13589

• Williams, D. R., Lawrence, J. A., & Davis, B. A. (2023). Structural racism, social determinants, and cardiovascular health disparities. Annual Review of Public Health, 44, 341–360. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052921-110229

Community: Bronzeville, Chicago

Overview
In week 1 you identified the leading causes of morbidity and mortality
in your community. These certainly indicate health needs.
This week expand your thinking to other types of health needs your
community as a whole and members of your community is or might be
experiencing.

• Illustrate how food deserts, poverty, and healthcare access influence cardiovascular health in South Side Chicago.

• Explain community health needs in Bronzeville with a focus on cardiovascular disease and resident feedback.

Instructions
This assignment has 2 parts with multiple elements. Ensure you
address each elements in this activity.
Steps:
Provide the following in about 200 words total
1. Identify one health need from the health category of your community needs assessment. This must be a concern that is supported by evidence in your CAG.
• List the need and briefly describe it. For example, are they major problems or still minor; are they new
or ongoing; do they impact the whole community or
a specific group in the community?
• Which social determinant or determinants of health apply to this need.
2. Next, take a minute to speak with a member of the community. It can be someone you came across in your
windshield survey, a friend, relative, health provider, etc. The only stipulation is that they live in the community. Ask the person you are speaking with the following questions and
communicate their answers in your post.
• What is the most pressing they need see from a community perspective.
• What is the need or gap that most impacts them?
You will identify your contact with initials only and cite
the conversation as a personal communication e.g., (E.
Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2019).
Personal communications should not be included in your
references.
******You must include at least one current week’s (2/3) learning material demonstrating synthesis of ideas from a variety of sources.
Ensure that any other sources are < 5 years old.
Write out the questions and use bullets or numbering to ensure that your comments are easily followed.
Do not add attachments.
Please Double Space.
Do not use direct quotations.
Be sure to use in-text citations where appropriate.
This assignment requires proper APA styling for citations and references. A title page is not required
Note: FIVE (only five) static and designated Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).
They are:
• Economic
• Education
• Healthcare
• Environment and Built Environment
• Social
Conditions and vulnerabilities are “housed” within these categories. So, things like
stigma, trauma, food insecurity, homelessness substance use etc., are not SDOHs.
Rather, they are conditions and vulnerabilities which are created, impacted, influenced
by the Five SDOHs above.
Rubics
Criterion 1 (17 Points/42.5%) Identifies, lists, and describes at least one health need in the target
community. Addresses whether it is a major/minor need; if it is a new or ongoing problem and if it
impacts the whole community or a specific (who) aggregate.–
Levels of Achievement:
A=93 to 100% Distinguished
15.8 (39.50%) – 17 (42.50%)
B=84 to 92% Proficient
14.2 (35.50%) – 15.7 (39.25%)
C=75 to 83% Basic
12.7 (31.75%) – 14.1 (35.25%)
D/F=0 to 74% Non-Performance
0 (0.00%) – 12.6 (31.50%)
Criterion 2 (17 points/42.5%) Identifies which determinant or determinants apply to this need.
Speaks to a member of the community and reports the resident’s top concern from both a
community and individual perspective.–
Levels of Achievement:
A=93 to 100% Distinguished
15.8 (39.50%) – 17 (42.50%)
B=84 to 92% Proficient
14.2 (35.50%) – 15.7 (39.25%)
C=75 to 83% Basic
12.7 (31.75%) – 14.1 (35.25%)
D/F=0 to 74% Non-Performance
0 (0.00%) – 12.6 (31.50%)
Criterion 3 (3 Points/7.5%) Includes at least one current week’s learning resource in the references
demonstrating synthesis of ideas from learning content. In-text citations are utilized and have a
corresponding reference listing. . Additional resources may be used. Resource(s) reflects topic.–
Levels of Achievement:
A=93 to 100% Distinguished
2.7 (6.75%) – 3 (7.50%)
B=84 to 92% Proficient
2.5 (6.25%) – 2.6 (6.50%)
C=75 to 83% Basic
2.2 (5.50%) – 2.4 (6.00%)
D/F=0 to 74% Non-Performance
0 (0.00%) – 2.1 (5.25%)
Criterion 4 (3 Points/7.5%) Writing is clear, with appropriate spelling, sentence structure and
punctuation. In-text citations are utilized with a corresponding reference listing. Complete and
error-free APA formatting is utilized for both reference (s) and in-text citations.

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