Which term describes differences in health outcomes between population groups that are avoidable and caused by social injustices?

• A. Health Equity
• B. Health Disparities
• C. Health Inequalities
• D. Health Inequities

Answer: (D)

Differences in health outcomes that are avoidable and caused by social injustices are described as health inequities. The word inequities signals that these gaps are not inevitable; they arise from unfair social conditions and structures—things like unequal access to care, poverty, discrimination, and uneven distribution of resources. Because they are both avoidable and rooted in injustice, this term best captures the concept the question is targeting.

Health disparities is a broader phrase that refers to differences in health between groups but doesn’t inherently emphasize injustice or preventability. Health inequalities describes differences in health status without specifying whether they stem from unfair or modifiable social factors. Health equity represents the goal of fairness in health outcomes, not the differences themselves.