Health Promotion among Diverse Populations
Health Promotion among Diverse Populations
Lisa A. Jennings
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V
January 25, 2015
Title
Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group and there are estimated to be about 54 million living in the United States (Office of Minority Health & Health Equity, YEAR). The Hispanics are a minority group that struggle every day to survive, to provide for their families, to stay healthy and to live quality lives. This paper will discuss the Hispanics current health status, how health promotion is defined by the Hispanics and what health disparities exist for the Hispanics. Lastly, this paper will discuss the three levels of health prevention and their effectiveness given the unique needs of the Hispanics.
The Current Health Status of Hispanics
How would one define health status? An individual health status could be defined by someone observing another and gathering information about that person and coming to a conclusion on the facts that were gathered. It is much harder to define the health status of a population. One way to define the health status of an entire population would be to consider the health of the population, their lifespan, the extensiveness of preventable diseases or deaths and the availability of health services that can be used as an indication of their health status (National Center for Health Statistics: Health). Some health problems that the Hispanics face today are heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic liver disease, cancer, asthma, obesity and tobacco use. Cardiac disease is the main cause of death for all ethnic groups in the United States and some risk factors include obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking. In comparing the Hispanics to non-Hispanic white people, Hispanics have higher rates of diabetes and obesity, whereas, they have lower rates of smoking than that of non-Hispanic white people (Escarce, Morales, Rumbaut, 2006). The socioeconomic status of the
Lisa A. Jennings
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V
January 25, 2015
Title
Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group and there are estimated to be about 54 million living in the United States (Office of Minority Health & Health Equity, YEAR). The Hispanics are a minority group that struggle every day to survive, to provide for their families, to stay healthy and to live quality lives. This paper will discuss the Hispanics current health status, how health promotion is defined by the Hispanics and what health disparities exist for the Hispanics. Lastly, this paper will discuss the three levels of health prevention and their effectiveness given the unique needs of the Hispanics.
The Current Health Status of Hispanics
How would one define health status? An individual health status could be defined by someone observing another and gathering information about that person and coming to a conclusion on the facts that were gathered. It is much harder to define the health status of a population. One way to define the health status of an entire population would be to consider the health of the population, their lifespan, the extensiveness of preventable diseases or deaths and the availability of health services that can be used as an indication of their health status (National Center for Health Statistics: Health). Some health problems that the Hispanics face today are heart disease, stroke, diabetes, chronic liver disease, cancer, asthma, obesity and tobacco use. Cardiac disease is the main cause of death for all ethnic groups in the United States and some risk factors include obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking. In comparing the Hispanics to non-Hispanic white people, Hispanics have higher rates of diabetes and obesity, whereas, they have lower rates of smoking than that of non-Hispanic white people (Escarce, Morales, Rumbaut, 2006). The socioeconomic status of the
References: About Healthy People. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2015, from http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/About-Healthy-People Escarce, J., Morales, L., & Rumbaut, R., (2006). The Health Status and Health Behaviors of Hispanics. National Academy of Sciences Hispanic or Latino Populations. (2014, November 26). Retrieved January 24, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/ Journal of Health Disparities Research & Practice. (Summer2013, Vol.6 Issue 2, p30-47. 18p). Health Disparity and Structural Violence: How Fear Undermines Health Among Immigrants at Risk for Diabetes. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu