Health Disparities Of African Americans

Methodological principles and health care organizations both can reduce health disparities providing it is recognized a health disparity is a health contrast in the way things turn out across subgroups of the population, in connection to social issues, economic issues related to having a good job, or environmental circumstances such as unsafe neighborhoods. Even though health disparities are alive and known, the Unites Stated will inevitably gain when every person has a fair chance at living a long, healthy, and constructive life. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health on the basis of 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

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness (US 1776)” One of the prime concepts of the constitution was the upholding of equality. Our ancestors believed that everyone was equal and thus should all be able to pursue the same basic luxuries equally. Everyone should be able to pursue life and accordingly be able to purse a means of protecting and promoting this life through good health. Health care is the means by which we seek out medical treatment. In a study conducted by the New York Times, it was concluded that there have been differences in health outcomes of African

The United States is faced with multiple health disparities within the country that encompass many challenges for individuals when it comes to the fairness and access to health care. A health disparity is defined as the inconsistency of treatment between two different groups of individuals. Treatment that could be different could be seen as different care due to age, race, ethnicity, culture, or current socioeconomic status (Koh et al., 2012). Treatment may be harmful for individuals as a result of miscommunication that may be perceived the wrong way. Individuals with low health literacy do not understand the purpose of particular drugs or the name of one’s condition, which can further leave an individual vulnerable to harm. Individuals may sign consent they do not fully understand, and will receive unwanted care and procedures (Clark, 2011). Healthcare providers need to be aware of an individual’s level of understanding before harming the individual with irreversible procedures.

Growing up, my dad always told me that we were the lucky ones. At the age of 15, he escaped from Vietnam, leaving with only the clothes on his back. Saigon fell to the north, sending people in a final desperate exodus. He would say “If the mines didn’t kill me, the bullets surely would. If the bullets didn’t kill me, drowning would and if drowning didn’t kill me, dehydration would.” In spite of the possibilities faced by thousands like him, my dad made it onto the US Navy ship. While my parents had escaped the war, we faced a different conflict in acclimation. My dad struggled to keep a job. We could barely afford rent, nevertheless see a doctor. For some people, “health disparities” can be described in terms of statistics and terms like “preventative care” and “optimizing accessibility”. For my family, “health disparities” was just a part of life in America. It was the uselessness I felt as I watched my dad work 80 hours a week at several minimum wage jobs just so my brother and I could focus on school. It was the frustration I felt spending hours in vain researching ways to ease my mother’s pain as she suffered from years of untreated stomach ulcers. It was the worry I felt knowing that, despite ranking among the top 10% of students in my high school class, I still could not afford to go to college. In spite of everything, I am one of the lucky ones as I was able to fully fund my college education in scholarships and grants. I am lucky because these experiences taught me

To obtain the necessary data to understand and eliminate health disparities, I would review a board array of data collection system from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). These systems include “health surveys, administrative enrollment and billing records and records from private data systems” (Perrin, 2004). These data collection systems are used to understand broad areas of determinant of health (e.g. the impact income have on mortality) while others are used to understand health outcomes (e.g. the effect of patient race/ethnicity on health outcomes with diabetes). I would focus only on race/ethnic, socioeconomic position, and language because I believe these to be important in understanding disparities in health and health

“If a health outcome is seen to a greater or lesser extent between populations, there is disparity.” This is the definition of a health disparity given by healthypeople.gov. Race or ethnicity, sex identity, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location are all factors that contribute in a health disparity. The most common linked to a health disparity in many cases is socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status seems to affect the health of an individual as well as the care they will receive, making this a closely linked to several other health disparities.

In any society in the world today health disparities are constantly being encountered. Health disparity is a term used for disease and mortality as it commonly refers to differences in groups of people, races, cultures, societies, economic class, educational levels, etc. Generally, health disparities are compared with more advanced countries and what those cultures have and how other cultures are behind and living without any advancement. Health disparities have been around since the world first evolved, but now those studies have been further researched. In consideration of the evolving research, health disparity is now sometimes referred to as health inequality due to the diverse levels of advancement, medical care, and education that various cultures receive. There are now a vast variety of resources available to conduct research on any said subject involving health disparities in general. Anyone can find a disparity in any subject; it just depends on what side of the spectrum each individual falls on.

There are several race traits and risk factors from African-American such as Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Diabetes, and Pneumonia/Influenza. Also they have those risk factors due to cultural difference diet and exercise such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, stroke, end stage renal disease, dementia, diabetes, and certain cancers. Especially, diabetes has more frequency reason of death among Black elders than in other ethnic people except American Indians (Health and Health Care of African American , n.d). In addition, according to the Health and Health Care of African American (n.d.), the death rate for all cancers is 30% higher for African Americans than for Whites, e (Health and Health Care of African American, n.d).

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,

Despite vast advancements in healthcare African-American men lack appropriate necessities when it comes to health care. Continuous efforts to bridge the gap among African American men with prostate cancer still remains high in the United States. Evidence shows how disproportionate this ethnic population leads in both incidence and mortality rate concerning social determinants of health, as well as health disparities. Major key factors that contribute to this health disparity among African Americans men are low socioeconomic status (SES) and being medically offered inadequate services. According to Richardson et al. (2004), "Prostate cancer (PCa) is most common and the second leading cause of cancer death among American men." However, prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher in African-American men, as compared to other race. One of the main barriers hindering the care of this ethnic population is the lack of knowledge. As an Advanced Nurse Practitioners, it is crucial to identify areas in SDoH and health disparities that affect African American men health. False perceptions, misunderstanding and improper information must be replaced with factual information, and communicated accurately (Richardson et al. 2004).

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

Heart disease is a wide term that describes a range of conditions that affect your heart. These heart diseases consist of born heart defects, blood vessel diseases, and heart rhythm implications. This term can also be interchanged with the term “cardiovascular disease”, which refers to blood vessel blockage that can lead to severe effects (chest pain, heart attack, stroke). Other symptoms that affect your heart’s beat or muscles also are considered a type of heart disease. Living a healthy life and making healthy choices can help prevent and treat multiple forms of heart disease.

Health care disparities can be termed as health dissimilarity that is associated with social, financial, and environmental detriment. This health dissimilarity unfavorably affects groups of people based on several factors; factors such as race, ethnicity, geographical location, socio-economic status, age, mental health, and so on (Disparities, 2014). Other factors influencing disparities in healthcare are environmental threats, insufficient access to healthcare, educational inequalities, and behavioral

Heart disease also called Cardiovascular is a group of conditions affecting the structure and function of the heart that involves narrowed or blocked blood vessels. Since the blood vessels are disordered this raises the chances of the person having a heart attack.

Firstly, cardiovascular disease refers to many sub conditions. To name a few; coronary heart disease, stroke, cardiomyopathy, peripheral vascular disease and congenital heart disease. Coronary heart disease occurs when the oxygenated blood supply to the heart is congested by plaque build-up. Stroke occurs when blood clots reach the brain, depriving it of