Health Promotion among Diverse Populations
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Health Promotion among Diverse Populations
Different minority groups in the United States have different health status levels due to different aspects, which surround the groups. These include their race, education level, and their socioeconomic status (Edelman, Mandle, & Kudzma, 2014). The United States has implemented different strategies to improve the health of the minority groups across the nation to minimize the high disparities in health among different groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated that some minority groups are at an increased risk of developing certain preventable diseases compared to other large groups (Edelman, Mandle, & Kudzma, 2014). One of the implemented strategies includes equal distribution of resources cross all groups, which is aimed to bring about fairness in health promotion. One of the minority groups which has been impacted by the health disparities in the United States are the Africans-Americans populations (Edelman, Mandle, & Kudzma, 2014).
Current Health Status of the African Americans
Africans-Americans have been largely affected by lifestyle diseases, which include diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer, which is attributed to their poor lifestyles and limited health education (CDC, 2018). This group has also been marginalized which has reduced the resources which have been provided to the citizens of the United States. In some regions, there are also reports of discrimination where the Africans-Americans have been denied certain important services (CDC, 2018). Some of these illnesses have also affected other groups in the United States, which makes them a national issue. However, due to the limited resources among the Africans-Americans, this group has been largely affected by these illnesses (CDC, 2018).
The trend of poor health outcomes among the Africans-Americans has been there from history with the blacks at a high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and other lifestyle diseases compared to other groups in the United States (CDC, 2018). This group has also a high rate of sexually transmitted diseases as well as high mortality rates. This is attributed to the low socioeconomic aspect, which has prevented a majority of this population from accessing quality healthcare services (CDC, 2018). Lack of adequate finances have contributed to a majority of Africans-Americans unable to sustain their lives in different aspects, which include the provision of adequate food, and medical care, which is important in health promotion (CDC, 2018).
Definition of Health Promotion by the Africans-Americans
Health promotion is important in all the different groups in the United States, as this is necessary in improving the health status and decreasing the mortality rate of individuals (Haber, 2013). Nurses play an important role in health promotion in the Africans-Americans group by advocating for their needs. Nurses perform different roles in advocating for the minority community needs which is done after an assessment to determine the different health aspects surrounding the communities (Haber, 2013). Africans- Americans define health promotion as the provision of necessary health information and services to these individuals, which is aimed at preventing certain diseases.
This may be done through health education and wellness programs which are meant to achieve equality in the distribution of healthcare (Haber, 2013). This may also be achieved by increasing the number of healthcare facilities in this community as discrimination, which originated from the earlier times left a majority of this population without adequate access to healthcare services (Haber, 2013). Another definition of health promotion by this group is eliminating health disparities between different communities. This can be achieved by the provision of equal resources to the different groups in the United States, which will help minority groups in addressing the major chronic illnesses, which will also help in reducing the mortality rate (Haber, 2013).
What Health Disparities Exist For This Group
Some of the health disparities among the Africans-Americans include health education, low socioeconomic status, and discrimination. Most of the Africans-Americans do not have access to adequate education resources, which negatively affect these individuals (CDC, 2018). Education is important as it can be applied in health education to train individuals on strategies to implement to prevent the development of certain chronic diseases as well as improve their lifestyles (CDC, 2018). Due to lack of education, a majority of individuals in this group are unable to secure good jobs, which also negatively affects their lives.
Without a good job, it is difficult for the individuals to access quality healthcare and other healthcare services, which are aimed at improving the lives of the individuals (CDC, 2018). Due to their low-income status, they are unable to access medical care, which is foregone for other important utilities such as food, water, and accommodation (CDC, 2018). This group also suffers from being discriminated by other major and superior groups, which can be traced in history. This has led to this group to lack access to important services and amenities, which should be addressed to ensure equality in the distribution of resources to all citizens of America (CDC, 2018).
Describe One Approach Using the Three Levels of Health Promotion Prevention (Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary) That Is Likely To Be the Most Effective Given the Unique Needs of the Minority Group You Have Selected
One of the most effective approaches using the three levels of health promotion prevention is addressing discrimination at the primary level and health education at the secondary and tertiary levels (Weinstein et al., 2017). In the primary level, it is important that all citizens of America have the same resources in accessing healthcare. This will play an important role in disease prevention since all citizens including the minority groups will be able to access important healthcare information, which will help the individuals in implementing preventive strategies (Weinstein et al., 2017). Preventive strategies will help the African-American group from developing certain diseases, which have negatively affected this population.
The next approach will be education, which is important in enabling the members of this group in sufficiently utilizing healthcare resources in their community and adopt healthy lifestyles (Weinstein et al., 2017). Education provides support to challenging areas and reduces the cost of accessing healthcare services which is a major challenge facing this group. Health education will also help members of this group in managing any diseases, which is categorized in the secondary level (Weinstein et al., 2017). This will include the management of complications and other health issues associated with the diseases. In the tertiary level, healthcare education will help the individuals to maximize their lives and functionality regardless of any underlying health issues that they may be facing (Weinstein et al., 2017).
Conclusion
It is important for all governments at the different levels to consider and address health disparities in minority groups all across the United States and ensure equality in the distribution of healthcare services (Edelman, Mandle, & Kudzma, 2014). Healthcare is important and should be distributed to all citizens regardless of their race, education, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in the community. The needs of the minority groups should also be considered and addressed as there might be barriers preventing the groups from accessing quality healthcare services like other groups in the nation (Edelman, Mandle, & Kudzma, 2014). The Africans-Americans have had issues fighting for equality in different aspects, which include healthcare distribution, which is meant to ensure fairness to all the citizens of America. This is majorly the duty of the government and other stakeholders involved in the distribution of healthcare to ensure that this is achieved (Edelman, Mandle, & Kudzma, 2014).
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Minority Health. African-American Health. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH). Finding Solutions to Health Disparities at a Glance 2016. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/reach.htm
Edelman, C., Mandle, C. L., & Kudzma, E. C. (2014). Health promotion throughout the life span. St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier.
Haber, D. (2013). Health Promotion and Aging: Practical Applications for Health Professionals. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Weinstein, J. N., Geller, A., Negussie, Y., Baciu, A., & National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.). (2017). Communities in action: Pathways to health equity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
