African American Health Care Analysis

Since the arrival of African Americans in this country blacks have always had differing experiences. Consequently, African-Americans have had to forge a self-identity out of what has been passed on to them as fact about their true selves. History has wrought oppression and subjugation to this particular race of people and as a result, certain institutions were formed in order aid African-Americans, culturally, spiritually and economically. The African-American Church has served of one such institution. From the time of slavery, though outlawed, many slaves found ways to congregate and form their own "churches", away from the one-sided and bias lessons about the bible that they were being taught in the white church. The white ministers and

In order to analyze this project objectively, research will be presented from various academic sources. The institute of medicine (IOM) has done extensive research, at the request of the United States Congress, on the various disparities within healthcare. Their analysis looks at differences in treatment, patient perception, and how individuals of different races and genders act while receiving care. Furthermore, I have out in an inquiry to St. Lukes Hospital, a member of the greater Lehigh Valley Heath Network, to see what type of data they may have on the disparities in healthcare amongst women of different races. The Lehigh Valley serves as a diverse data pool to extract meaningful information from. The demographic make-up of Bethlehem is varied, yet African Americans only account for roughly 6 percent of the population (Suburbanstats.org). The small size of the African American populations will need to be taken into account, but the information should still allow for valid data.

The answer is no simple or a single solution. Rather, the answers must address the range of causes of disparities (inequalities in education, housing, and health insurance) and empower multiple levels of change ( patients, providers, health systems, policymakers, communities). These levels of change are most commonly found in the fundamental public health Socio-Ecological model. In this model, there are 5 levels, intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, institutions and policy, that could be focused on when implementing solutions to public health concerns, which health disparities would be considered. One method that should be looked at very closely in the institutional level of the model is reorganizing the curriculum of physician education in order to incorporate cultural competency. Such training can improve provider knowledge, attitudes and skills, which may be an important precursor to addressing unconscious provider bias. Drawing upon evidence in social cognitive psychology, Van Rhys Burgess have outlined strategies and skills for healthcare providers to prevent unconscious racial biases from influencing the clinical encounter. Their framework includes: 1) Enhancing internal motivation and avoiding external pressure to reduce bias, 2) Enhancing understanding of the psychosocial basis of bias, 3) Enhancing providers’ confidence in their

Culturally speaking observing the worship service demonstrated just how important of a role religion is for African Americans. There seemed to be a lot of focus on social

Health care providers and the medical community at large adhere to the negative racial and gender stereotypes and perceptions associated with Black women. The salience of stereotypical perceptions of Black women, such as that they are unintelligent, low income, or unworthy of treatment or respect (Burgess, Warren, Phelan, Dovidio, & Ryn, 2010), in health care settings, has been linked to apprehension of receiving and actually receiving biased treatment by health care professionals (Melfi, Croghan, Hanna, & Robinson, 2000; Sclar, Robison, Skaer, & Galin, 1999). Stereotype threat, which is the fear a person has of confirming the negative stereotypes associated with a group he or she identifies with or in an area in which the individual excels

The socioeconomic status of African-Americans also plays an important part in the health disparity present in this minority group. According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau, the largest state population of African-Americans is seen in New York at 3.3 million. In 2000, it was estimated that 88% of the United States African-American population lived in Metropolitan areas. A 2007 article in California Law Review entitled Fast Food: Oppression through Poor Nutrition, very plainly points out that the location of most

The element of worship has always been an essential part of the Black American culture. Black Americans “are markedly more religious on a variety of measures than the U.S. population as a whole.” 87% of blacks vs. 83% of all Americans affiliated with a religion according to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted in 2007 by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public

Although the United States is a leader in healthcare innovation and spends more money on health care than any other industrialized nation, not all people in the United State benefit equally from this progress as a health care disparity exists between racial and ethnic minorities and white Americans. Health care disparity is defined as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social or economic disadvantage…adversely affecting groups of people who have systematically experienced greater social and/or economic obstacles to health and/or clean environment based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion” (National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities [NPAEHD], 2011, p. 3). Overwhelming evidence shows that racial and ethnic minorities receive inferior quality health care compared to white Americans, and multiple factors contribute to these disparities, including geography, lack of access to adequate health coverage, communication difficulties between patients and providers, cultural barriers, and lack of access to providers (American College of Physicians,

In looking on the subject of race you realize there is a racial stigma when it comes to health care. The American health care system is geared to treat the majority, while the minority suffers. As one looks at the African American society we see the racial discrimination in the health care system. According to the American heart association, “African Americans are 28% more likely

Heart disease is the number one killer of women and the leading cause of death in African-American women.1 African-American women have higher rates of heart disease with earlier onset and more severe complications than women from other ethnicities. A common strategy to address the increase incidence of heart disease in African-American females is by changing their behavioral attitudes towards diet and physical activity. The Heart Truth, a science-based health education program launched in 2002, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a part of the National Institutes of Health, helps increase awareness about heart disease and its risk factors in women.2 It also aims at educating and motivating the women to take action

Health disparities are the inequalities that appear in the arrangement of healthcare and approaches to healthcare across different racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic group.

African-American religion dealt with life as blacks lived it. It was about pain and sorrow, sin and shortcoming, pardon and joy, praise and thanksgiving, grace and hope. This version of Evangelicalism provided a wonderful benefit; it was able to accomplish great things in their lives that were frequently shouted about. Whether it be through a simple shout during church, or a song sung in the fields Evangelicalism took root among African-Americans. Large numbers underwent conversion, baptism, instruction, worship, and lived the life of a Christian even in face of oppression. Although, the development of their own religious institutions would await Emancipation and the war 's end, there were many thousands of Negro Baptists and Methodists by 1850, which represented what African-American religious culture had grown into.

One of these points being the differences between religion and spirituality. Religion seemed to be more structured, fear-instilled, ritualistic, and institutionalized. Alternatively, spirituality seemed to be more informal, more free, open-ended, and individual. Before colonization, African Religion was more about spirituality than religion itself. It was about believing in the supreme being and believing that this supreme being is embedded within nature. God was everywhere, God was every, and most importantly, God was good. Not only was this a concrete belief, but it was also believed that African ancestors had the ability to intervene in the life of the living. Before their ancestors would pass away, important information would be passed down from them orally. This concept of orality highly contributed to the retainment of African culture during slavery. Although this is true, a sense of culture and spirituality was lost. During colonization, religion was forced upon slaves. This concept of a White supreme being acted as fuel for White people. If the supreme being was believed to be White then it was the Africans duties to cater to the White man as they were seen as kin of the supreme being. This ultimately led to the disconnect between the African people and their sense of spirituality. Today, many Black people believe that without religion there is no sense of spirituality. Not only

Black Americans can have different emotions from crying to being silent. People usually gather in large gatherings to pay respect. Black Americans have a belief that death is God’s will and the deceased is in God’s hand and will be reunited

In this paper, three families were interviewed on several characteristics of their culture, customs and beliefs toward health which includes African, African American and Jamaican.