Health disparities on the basis of social class and race/ethnicity are apparent across a broad spectrum of health conditions at all stages of development from birth through older age (

Family Health Care Across the Life Span

Health disparities on the basis of social class and race/ethnicity are apparent across a broad spectrum of health conditions at all stages of development from birth through older age (Tanner 2015 (Links to an external site.)). Historically, much of the research on health disparities has been conducted using cross-sectional data, often in adulthood, with the search for explanatory factors focused on current circumstances that might contribute to health status differentials between individuals in different social groups. (Burton-Jeangros et al. 2015 ; Kuh and Ben-Shlomo 2004 (Links to an external site.)).