Essay Sample on Health Promotion in African American Population

African Americans are a group of Americans that have partial or total ancestry from black racial groups in Africa. The name represents descendants of black people who were enslaved, and it comprises the second-largest racial and third-largest ethnic group in the United States. Despite its long history, African Americans remain diverse in the U.S. because of various locations of their historical origin. The recent health status of African Americans, when associated to whites, is characterized by a higher incidence of hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, sexually transmitted infections, and diabetes. The top reason of mortality and morbidity for African Americans is diabetes, the same as stroke, substance abuse, and lung cancer (Barnes, 2018). The group remains the least healthy minority and ethnic group in the United States because of various years of social and racial injustice. African Americans face formidable challenges to equal health care, which is offered for all in the entire United States. Also, African Americans record the highest mortality rate with decreased life expectancy. The causes of the high mortality rate are unhealthy behaviors, barriers to seeking health promotion, and lack of education.

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The African American population experiences several health disparities with access to care, mental health, preventive screening, and ethnic conditions. The disparities are slow to be filled because the group lacks power over actions and policies that eliminate or make changes to the disparities. The race is the major factor that causes health disparities in African Americans. The race factor is not moderated by sex, level of education, and age (Lewis & Van Dyke, 2018). Racism in African Americans is an organized, systematic cultural and social phenomenon that via discrimination, exclusion, and prejudice is a cause of health and social disparities. It is manifested as a proximal and distal factor that affects the health of entire African Americans (Monk, 2015).

Apart from the problem of health disparities, African Americans experience nutritional challenges. Some of them include an unbalanced diet, which is characterized by a low intake of fruits, dairy products, and vegetables. Then a high intake of processed food products. The group consumes inadequate calcium, fiber, and vitamins A and C. They also take excess sugar and saturated fat.

There is a need for empowerment, cultural sensitivity, and incorporation of community organizations in the struggle against the occurrence of diseases in African Americans. A universal health insurance system is required. To eliminate the presence of health disparities, a national effort is required together with the involvement of communities and individuals, and private plus public sectors. Equally systemic solutions are necessary for the group, which is accompanied by full access to preventive, curative, together with rehabilitative care because of access to care (Monk, 2015). The lead-in advocating for expertise for good health in African Americans should be the public health as they should be a priority in providing and assuring that inadequacies in both social and physical environments do not harm the group. The key to lifelong health for African Americans starting from infant, child, and adolescents is comprehensive care.

Behavior and lifestyle are central to the acquisition of major chronic diseases that affects African Americans. To influence their behavior and lifestyle, a health promoter must consider the group's attitudes, life circumstances, values, and culture of each African American. A health promotion targeting the group should prioritize in informing the group the effects of unhealthy environments, documenting the impacts and location of toxic waste, assurance of good housing. The interventions have to be done via cross-sector collaborations (Woods-Giscombé & Gaylord, 2014). The promotion is to address the ability of the group to function as creative and productive people. The African Americans adults must be reminded of the appropriate health care standards from which they can access and benefit as then population ages. More so, the current health status has improved compared to the recent past as there are positive trends caused by economic investment in the education of African Americans, improved social development programs, the involvement of the group in decision making, and policy concerning the expansion of health access.

References

Barnes, P. A. (2018). Correlation Between Personal Health History and Depression Self-Care Practices and Depression Screening Among African Americans With Chronic Conditions. Preventing Chronic Disease, 15. https://www.cdc.gov/Pcd/Issues/2018/17_0581.htm

Lewis, T. T., & Van Dyke, M. E. (2018). Discrimination and the health of African Americans: The potential importance of intersectionality's. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(3), 176-182. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0963721418770442

Monk Jr, E. P. (2015). The cost of color: Skin color, discrimination, and health among African-Americans. American Journal of Sociology, 121(2), 396-444. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/682162

Woods-Giscombé, C. L., & Gaylord, S. A. (2014). The cultural relevance of mindfulness meditation as a health intervention for African Americans: Implications for reducing stress-related health disparities. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 32(3), 147-160. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898010113519010