Health Disparity Among Chinese Americans

Although most American citizens today associate racial and ethnic disparities in public health care quality with socioeconomic status, a majority of studies performed conclude that these discrepancies are still highly prevalent when the factor of one’s socioeconomic status is taken out of the equation. Health disparities for a certain minority result in a higher number of illness, injury, and even mortality for that race or ethnicity in comparison to white Americans; therefore, health care disparities can be defined as differences between groups in health coverage, specifically focusing on both the quality and access to care. The Office of Management and Budget has created two ethnic categories for all American citizens to fit into, being either

Asian Americans with no other ancestry comprise 4.8% of the U.S. population while people who are Asian alone or combined with at least one other race make up 5.6%

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

Asian Americans face health disparities in cancer, chronic diseases, hypertension, and diabetes, mental health, and among the elderly (Sy, n.d.). I wanted to focus on what one of the most leading cause of Asian Americans or Pacific Islander is Cancer. Asian Americans generally have lower cancer rates than the non-Hispanics white population. However, disparities still exist in the certain type of cancer. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, Asians are 40 percent less likely to have prostate cancer as white men, but they are twice as likely to have stomach cancer. Although Asians women are 30 percent less likely to have breast cancer than white women, they are twice as likely to have stomach cancer. OHM also conclude that Asian men and women have 2.1 and 2.3 times the incidence of liver and IBD cancer as the non-Hispanic white population. Asian are twice as likely to die from stomach cancer as compared to the non-Hispanic white population, and Asian women are 2.4 times as likely to die from the same disease (Office of Minority Health,

Linking to ethnicity the Asian origin value family relations and it is common for three or four generations to be living under the same roof. However, this does not affect their health and well being as such. Although an influence leading to effects of health and well being is Indian cuisine. Indian cuisine contains many saturated fats from butter, lard and ghee and curries containing lots of oil. Individuals who are living a poorer quality of life may find that their diet includes a lot of saturated fat as it maybe cheaper and easier to get hold of. Eating a lot of saturated fat can increase the cholesterol in the blood. High levels of cholesterol can increase risk of heart disease which includes: heart attack, stroke or narrowed arteries (atherosclerosis). Unfortunately, the overwhelming emphasis on the role of saturated fats in the diet and the risk of CAD has distracted investigators from studying any other effects that individual saturated fatty acids may have on the body. Though, a long term effect to intake of too much saturated fat is obesity. This has an affect and links to gender. Obesity leads to many health problems such as: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer or colon cancer and stroke. Women are more likely to become obese than men. This is because women naturally have more body fat and less muscle mass than men. In addition, women burn fewer calories at rest than men do. Relating to life expectancy, men will live and be more

In the early 1800’s industrialization of the northeast and other national endeavors such as railroads and road building required much manual labor. This vast manual labor job market opened the flood gates into the United States for immigrants seeking prosperity and a better life for themselves and their families. By the mid 1800’s many Chinese immigrants had made the voyage to the U.S. and sought work mainly in the factories of the prosperous northeast as well as the California gold mines. Culturally the Chinese people’s actions are motivated by the concept of bringing honor and respect to the family as a whole, and less concerned about individual successes or prestige, which resulted in Chinese immigrant’s willingness to do high quality work for long hours for very little pay. This was beneficial to the employer and company, but displaced many other immigrant workers which caused racial tensions. Chinese immigrants were accustomed to living in tight quarters, working together as families or community units and making do with what was available. These qualities assisted in the development of China Towns, housing and cultural centers for the Chinese immigrant population, near or in the large cities where their populations were greatest such as New York and San Francisco as. Many Americans viewed these China Towns as unsanitary and unhealthy brothels where prostitution and smoking opium was commonplace.

A reformation of the achievement levels of African-Americans starts through the investment of high achieving mentors, families, and friends. It begins with African-Americans straying away from statistical choices, such as placing improper value on education, community involvement, and health. The overcoming of such adversities involved with being an African-American woman has propelled my career goals. By striving to become a pharmacist and non-profit leader I am showing that the accomplishments of African-American women in health and leadership are not abnormal. One of the major causes of minority health disparities is the lack of minority health providers. As a healthcare provider, I will be better able to promote wellness in minority populations.

If everyone in the United States is treated equal, then why are Americans facing health disparities regarding to race? Race has always been an issue in this country. When it comes to the healthcare system, not all Americans receive the same outcomes or came services as others. Most Americans due to race receives unfair healthcare treatment because they’re not getting appropriate medical attention, they’re more likely to do die based on their illness, and if they’re uninsured they can’t receive any medical attention. This argument is going to be based on Americans who face these health disparities in the U.S regarding to mental health disorders, breast cancer, and the people who are uninsured.

Health disparities amongst African-Americans continue to destabilize not just the various communities but the health care system as a whole. Minority groups especially African-Americans are more probable to agonize from certain health illnesses, have higher mortality rates and lower life expectancy than another other race in the nation. Health disparities are complex and incorporate lifestyle choices, socioeconomic factors such as income, education and employment and access to care services. For the elimination of health disparities within the African-American community, there requires a need for equivalent access to health care and cultural suitable health ingenuities.

Last but not least, there’re health care disparities in both Myanmar and U.S. In U.S., Asian Americans are sometimes bigoted as healthy minority. Sadly, this stereotype results in health providers’ inappropriate intervention (Ta Park, 2015). Asian Americans receive less adequate and less intensive care than whites (Womenshealth, 2012). For example, according to Womenshealth (2012), Commonwealthfund (2015), and Los Angeles Times (2014), and Ladwig, American Journal of Public Health, (2015), although Asian Americans encounter myriad health threats just as any other ethnic minority, physicians are less likely to offer timely intervention for illness and counseling about smoking cessations, chronic disease prevention and management, healthy

Health care disparities in the United States occur on the provider level. The implicit biases providers are susceptible to help shape physician behavior and produce differences in medical treatment across a host of demographic characteristics but mainly along the lines of race and ethnicity. This paper focuses mainly on the relationship between providers and Black Americans. There is a complex and historical relationship between providers and Black Americans which dates back to the 16th century that is the basis for the biases physicians exhibit towards this particular minority group in today’s healthcare system. Contrary to popular belief, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study in 1932 is not the forerunner to a host of medical abuses committed against

Good health means the yin and yang is in balance and in harmony with each other. According to Jarvis (2012), foods are classified in this theory; yin foods are cold, and yang foods are hot; cold foods are eaten with a hot illness and hot foods are eaten with a cold illness. Chinese people have practiced acupuncture for thousands of years for the reduction of pain and for various disorders using fine needles at specific meridian points on the body (Edelman & Mandle, 2010). The Chinese believe that when there is an imbalance in a person’s system is when a person has illness. For health maintenance, they use preventive measures such eating healthy. Chinese people enjoy drinking a variety of tea after meals for the cleansing effect. Health protection means wearing an amulet or jade, eat correctly and with compatible food (Jarvis, 2012). Chinese people use cupping, acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbs such as ginseng roots, and usually will consult with herbalists, for health restoration.

Chinese population forms a major part of non-English speaking population in Australia. The Australian population comprises of 2% of the total population of Australia (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015). With the increasing population of Chinese-Australian there exists various factors that affect the general health condition of the population which includes their health beliefs, dietary consideration and low knowledge about diseases.

According to a recent national health survey analysis, heart diseases remain the leading cause of mortality among Filipino Americans (FACHIC, 2010). Some common risk factors for heart disease are obesity, high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise (Cherney & Higuera, 2016). 47% of Filipino Americans are obese or overweight, according to the national health survey analysis (FACHIC, 2010). This survey also concluded that compared to Caucasians and Hispanics, Filipino Americans had a higher population of individuals with hypertension (FACHIC, 2010). Compared with all other

Olson et al. (2016) found that reasons behind weight gain in Chinese immigrants were adapting to an unhealthy American diet, and improved access to nutrition (initial weight gain).