Service Learning Activity - Paper Sample

Introduction

Race is one of the predisposing factors for the possibility of people suffering from kidney failure. This is because there are some specific weaknesses in their defense mechanism found within their DNA and genetics, which leads to the possibility of members of a particular race suffering from kidney failure and other diseases. There are also issues associated with the cultural practices within a racial group which play a role in the possibility of a racial group suffering from kidney diseases and failure compared to other racial groups. This is because some lifestyle choices are specific to a racial group, which puts a racial group at more risk than others. African Americans are four times more likely to suffer from kidney diseases than whites. African Americans make up only 13% of the total American population, yet 35% of the instances of kidney diseases and failure are experienced within this racial group (NIH, 1). The predisposition of African Americans to the conditions which lead to kidney failure can explain these high numbers, with diabetes and high blood pressure being among the diseases suffered by African Americans, hence explaining this worrying trend. Therefore, the lifestyle and genetics of black Americans should be investigated for their high prevalence rates to be explained in high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney diseases.

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Medical Duties

I was a volunteer at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases during one of my summer vacations. My station of work was in Harlem, New York, and I was a volunteer for three months. During my time as a volunteer, I was assigned different duties according to where my help was needed. However, due to my sociological background, my duties were limited to the non-medical tasks in the department. First, I was part of the counseling team, which gave the moral, emotional, and mental support to the patients who suffered from kidney diseases and failure. Suffering from kidney diseases is a physically, mentally, and emotionally draining disease. Since I could not cater to their physical health needs, I am glad to have been of help to their mental health since through counseling, the majority of them found solace and calm, which helped to speed their treatment plans since mental instability significantly reduces the recovery speed for physical conditions. I was also responsible for conductive civic education on the issues related to kidney diseases, encouraging the members of the Harlem community to opt for healthy lifestyles over their current choices, which have been attributed to the high prevalence rates of kidney diseases and failures. I was also part of the team which wrote a proposal for the procurement of more dialysis centers in the community to increase the efficiency of those already in place in helping those with severe kidney failure to stay alive.

I was able to learn a lot of lessons from my participation in the volunteer program, which I was in. First, I learned about the role of race and ethnicity in the predisposition to diseases. While every human being can be a victim of kidney failure and conditions, the possibility of one suffering from the disease on account of their race and ethnicity is higher since membership to a racial group could mean that the disorders have a higher chance of affecting one due to their genetics. Apart from genetics, the possibility of one suffering from kidney diseases and failure is increased due to the lifestyles associated with the racial group, hence increasing the risk of one contracting the disease. Some cultures have high-cholesterol meals in their cuisines, and this may lead to the increased possibility of them suffering from kidney diseases and failure compared to other races. The normalization and general attitudes of a racial group towards alcohol intake is also another point which may increase the possibility of the group suffering from kidney diseases and failure. When a racial group is relaxed towards the consumption of alcohol, there is an increased possibility of the group suffering from the complications associated with kidney disease and failure.

Conclusion

I also learned about the role of the government in the reduction of suffering in kidney diseases and failure. Through setting up facilities in the profoundly affected areas, the government can reduce the possibility of the victims suffering from the loss of life from the diseases. Through increased attention being paid to the kidney diseases by setting up proper policies, the possibility of recovery from the diseases will be increased compared to if the victims did not receive any additional help. I also learned about the role of sociological and psychological attention to the people who suffer from kidney diseases and even those who are at higher risk of contracting the diseases. Therefore, the sociological help comes in when the people in the predisposed communities need moral support in helping them fight the avoidable lifestyle choices, which could lead to them suffering from liver diseases and failure. Some of these are the abstinence from alcohol and smoking or the encouragement to exercise and abstain from diets which are of high cholesterol content, leading to the accumulation of the possibility of contracting kidney diseases and failure.

Works Cited

NIH. "Race, ethnicity, & kidney disease." National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 5 Mar. 2020, www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/race-ethnicity.