Table of Contents
African American Minority Group
African Americans are a minority group in the United States with their ancestry from Africa. This population has continued to increase becoming the third largest ethnic group in the United States (Noonan, Velasco-Mondragon, & Wagner, 2016). However, African Americans have continued to face discrimination in public facilities including educational and healthcare facilities due to some of the historical perceptions about this group. This group has also faced certain risk factors that have negatively affected their health through increased morbidity and mortality rate (Noonan, Velasco-Mondragon, & Wagner, 2016).
Most individuals from this group suffer from cardiovascular diseases, obesity, STDs, and cancer which is attributed to poor nutrition and substandard housing. Regardless of the civil rights movements, this population continues to live in poor environmental conditions that negatively affect their health in various aspects (Noonan, Velasco-Mondragon, & Wagner, 2016). Research indicates that the African American population is the least healthy compared to other minority groups in the United States. Due to unequal distribution of healthcare resources, this group has limited access to healthcare insurance coverage as well as healthcare services. This prevents them from accessing preventive healthcare services that play a key role in preventing the development of chronic illnesses (Noonan, Velasco-Mondragon, & Wagner, 2016).
Health Disparities and Nutritional Challenges for This Group
The main causes of health disparities include social determinants of health that include racial discrimination, lack of access to healthcare, and poverty. Due to their poor social economic status, Africans Americans are unable to access quality healthcare services (CDC, 2019). Poverty limits individuals from accessing healthcare insurance coverage that is important in enabling them to access quality healthcare services. One contributing factor to health disparities that exist for this group is their racial identity where the group continues to face discrimination in accessing healthcare services (CDC, 2019). This leads to the group being affected by diseases at an early stage of life that results in early deaths.
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This is worsened by the fact the individuals may lack adequate resources to perform early diagnosis or address some of the risk factors that contribute to some of these chronic illnesses (CDC, 2019). Information provided by the Heckler report indicates that African Americans endure unacceptable health disparities, as they do not have the power to influence the development of healthcare policies to eliminate these disparities (CDC, 2019). Due to health inequalities in the United States, there is a limited response to the health needs of certain ethnic groups including African Americans.
Barriers to Health for This Group Resulting From Culture, Socioeconomics, Education, and Sociopolitical Factors
Information provided by the U.S Department of Health and Human Physiology indicates low health behavior scores among African Americans compared to the whites. Two factors that contribute to these poor scores are a low income and low educational levels (Ali & Katz, 2015). Few African Americans have access to adequate educational services affecting their ability to secure good jobs to access essential human needs such as nutrition, clean water, and clothing. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, African Americans are the poorest minority group in the United States (Ali & Katz, 2015).
Access to preventive health information may prevent individuals from this group to engage in illegal and unhealthy activities such as smoking, poor eating habits, and physical inactivity. One of the contributing factors to this is racial and social injustices that prevent this population in accessing equal healthcare services just as other groups (Ali & Katz, 2015). A low economic status further limits access to adequate resources that are important in accessing healthcare services. Societal structures make it challenging for African Americans to have the same socioeconomic status as the whites. These factors are beyond an individual’s control, as they require changes in policy to address these challenges and close the health gap (Ali & Katz, 2015).
Health Promotion Activities Often Practiced By This Group
One of health promotion activities practices by this group is promotion of physical activity. This is due to the increased rate of chronic illnesses attributed to an increased weight. Individuals are encouraged to participate in sporting activities as a way of maintaining a healthy weight (Coe & de Beyer, 2014). Another health promotion activity is promoting healthy behaviors practices through health education. Due to the high prevalence of STDs among the African American populations, sex education as well as the provision of some of the necessary resources such as condoms and contraceptives is provided by government agencies to encourage positive behaviors (Coe & de Beyer, 2014).
Free testing for diverse diseases is also available where individuals are able to diagnose diseases at an early stage that allows the implementation of early treatments that have a high success rate (Coe & de Beyer, 2014). Enhancing knowledge of individuals is one of the important aspects in health promotion as this helps individuals to take control of their health to prevent some of the diseases that are preventable. Community centers and trained health professionals are increasing awareness about the importance of healthy behaviors through mass media and health campaigns (Coe & de Beyer, 2014).
One Effective Approach Using the Three Levels of Health Promotion Prevention
The most effective health promotion approach in a care plan to address the unique needs of the African American ethnic group is health education at the primary level. Health education provides important information to prevent the development of certain diseases, as most of these diseases are preventable if individuals have access to preventive health information (Pati, Chauhan, Mahapatra, Sinha, & Pati, 2017). Since most individuals in this group do not have adequate education knowledge due to limited resources, health education will educate them on the importance of maintaining healthy behaviors. Some individuals may also not be aware of the consequences of some of the unhealthy behaviors and lifestyles (Pati et al., 2017). This approach will enable individuals to take preventive measures such as immunizations and adoption of healthy lifestyles that will improve their health status.
At the secondary level, one effective approach is early screening where individuals are able to detect any health problems early where treatment can start immediately (Pati et al., 2017). Due to poor nutrition, members of this group are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular, diabetes, and heart disease that may affect other organs of the body. Early diagnosis is important in preventing other negative health effects associated with these diseases (Pati et al., 2017). On the tertiary level, one effective approach may involve support healthcare services to help individuals to better cope and manage the disease. Support healthcare services will help them to live normal lives and prevent early death through access to important healthcare services that may be costly for them (Pati et al., 2017).
What Cultural Beliefs or Practices Must Be Considered When Creating a Care Plan and What Cultural Theory Would Be Best To Support Culturally Competent Health Promotion for This Population?
Healthcare providers need to consider various cultural beliefs and practices when creating a care plan for African Americans that will enable the development of effective care plans. One cultural practice is performing a cultural competence self-assessment to enhance understanding of the African American culture as well as determine one’s cultural perceptions (Truong, Paradies, & Priest, 2014). This will prevent discrimination or being bias to certain populations. One cultural perception of the African Americans is that diseases develop due to bad luck and not due to the kind of lifestyle or behaviors of individuals. This may affect the successful implementation of preventive measures or treatment interventions (Truong, Paradies, & Priest, 2014).
The Transcultural Nursing Theory would be best to support culturally competent health promotion for African Americans (Truong, Paradies, & Priest, 2014). This is because this theory focuses on understanding different cultural backgrounds where nurses are able to develop effective treatment interventions based on a culture’s perceptions and values (Truong, Paradies, & Priest, 2014). This theory also acknowledges that different cultures have their own caring behaviors and attitudes that may impact the provision of healthcare services. Nurses using this theory are able to gather cultural information regarding the African American culture from patients that will enhance their decision-making in developing effective care plans (Truong, Paradies, & Priest, 2014).
References
- Ali , A., & Katz, D. L. (2015). Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: How Integrative Medicine Fits. American journal of preventive medicine, 49(5 Suppl 3), 230–240.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Vital Signs. African American Health. Creating equal opportunities for health. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aahealth/index.html
- Coe, G., & de Beyer, J. (2014). The imperative for health promotion in universal health coverage. Global health, science, and practice, 2(1), 10–22.
- Noonan, A. S., Velasco-Mondragon, H. E., & Wagner, F. A. (2016). Improving the health of African Americans in the USA: an overdue opportunity for social justice. Public health reviews, 37, 12. doi:10.1186/s40985-016-0025-4.
- Pati, S., Chauhan, A. S., Mahapatra, S., Sinha, R., & Pati, S. (2017). Practicing health promotion in primary care -a reflective enquiry. Journal of preventive medicine and hygiene, 58(4), 288–293.
- Truong, M., Paradies, Y., & Priest, N. (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: a systematic review of reviews. BMC health services research, 14, 99.
