Community Health Promotion Project
In a Microsoft Word document of 5 pages formatted in APA style, you will focus on health promotion for a population of your choosing. Please note that the title and reference pages should not be included in the total page count of your paper.
Include the following in your paper:
Identify the population you chose and analyze relevant information pertaining to the chosen population.
demographics
socioeconomics
environmental hazards
access to healthcare
Analyze and discuss four mortality and morbidity risk factors for your selected population.
Suggest a health promotion activity for each health issue identified from your analysis.
Utilize the textbook and library resources to support your findings and recommendations in relation to your chosen population.
On a separate references page, cite all sources using APA format.
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Hispanic Health Promotion Project
Date:
Name:
Institution:
Hispanic Health Promotion Project
Introduction
The united states Hispanic population is considered the largest minority group that contributes primarily to the overall economy, health, and cultural diversity. Health assessment has been a priority in the united states, especially in developing and implementing health care policies (Flora, Schooler, and Pierson, 2018). Health assessment has played an essential role in identifying health risk factors, social determinants of health, health disparities, and services as the main issues behind mortality and morbidity among Hispanic population. The paper is a discussion of health promotion for Hispanic population.
Demographics
According to a study conducted in 2014, Hispanics covered seventeen percent of the overall united states population, where the number has, however, increased over the years. According to the study, the population is expected to increase to twenty-eight percent by 2060. The Hispanics, however, are a group of individuals that comprise Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Guatemalans, and Salvadorans that are either born in the united states, originating from America, and other places, such as Spain and the Caribbean (Flora, Schooler, and Pierson, 2018). The Hispanic population is distributed in the united states, especially in New York, Illinois, California, Texas, and Florida, where the largest population lives. According to several studies, the life expectancy for the Hispanic population is longer, and the median age of the united states population is thirty-seven years. However, the growth of the population has led to a wider gap in the united states, especially the ethnic generation and racial generational gap.
Socioeconomic
According to the center for disease control (CDC0 most Hispanics have a low level of education since most have not even completed their secondary education. Additionally, compared to other ethnic groups, Hispanics face a huge education discrepancy, which makes them have few job opportunities and privileges in society (Cabral, and Cuevas, 2020). On the other hand, Hispanics face a considerable health threat, which mainly originates from some factors, such as economic issues and education barriers.
Over the years, despite the advancement in technology, the health care system of the united states has been costly and inaccessible, thanks to the affordable care act, which has worked tirelessly on funding health care for the less privileged in the community. However, Hispanics are part of the minority group that finds it challenging to access health care due to high poverty rates. The economic challenges brought about by low levels of education and racial discrimination make it harder for the population to access health care.
Hispanic families are made to choose between the cost of health care and meeting their daily needs. Due to lack of finances, and health covers, Hispanics do not visit hospitals for emergency cases, hence increasing chronic diseases such as diabetes. Hispanics do not get a chance for early education, which is the most important in a child’s developmental stages (Cabral, and Cuevas, 2020). Lack of education makes it harder for the population to communicate in English, hence not explain their health issues or attend several health programs. Educational barriers and language barriers make it challenging for the population to understand a number of health concerns in their developmental stages. Active discrimination is another social issue that has played an essential role in the accessibility and provision of health services in most health care institutions.
Environmental Hazards
Toxic chemicals, such as lead, affect Hispanics, especially children, since Hispanics live near waste dumping sites, places with high industrial pollution, and in areas with low-quality water. Children are, however, mostly diagnosed with lead poisoning. On the other hand, due to air pollution, children are more diagnosed with asthma, where asthma and other respiratory diseases increase healthcare costs.
According to reports, about one percent of overall healthcare costs, which is approximately two billion dollars, is contributed by environmental hazards. Most medical professions promote health by conducting lead testing frequently on children, for parents and other medical professionals to understand the impacts of environmental hazards on an individual’s health (Basu Roy, Olsen, and Tseng, 2020). Pollution is one of the main factors that affect the health of Hispanics, and other Americans, especially in increasing cases of respiratory diseases, such as lung cancer and asthma. Exposure to environmental hazards leads to a higher mortality rate, especially premature deaths (Zhang, et,al.,2020)
Access to Healthcare
First and foremost, the lack of health insurance covers among Hispanics is a significant problem; hence receiving quality health care services becomes a bigger problem(Basu Roy, Olsen, and Tseng, 2020). Additionally, the low levels of education and low socioeconomic status make it challenging for Hispanics to access health care services. Most Hispanics provide food services, construction, agriculture, and other low-salary occupations, hence not provided with health insurance such as those working in technical, sales, administrative, and managerial professionals. Accessibility of health care services among Hispanics has been a huge problem, especially to the high cost of health care services and lack of health insurance covers. Apart from socioeconomic status and low education level, immigration status, acculturation, and language are factors that affect health accessibility. Naturalization of the immigrants h hinders the Hispanic’s chances to get treated, especially when the immigrants are not citizens and do not have the necessary documentation. However, undocumented and non-citizens receive very few benefits and are denied opportunities to public health insurance programs.
Analyze and discuss four mortality and morbidity risk factors for your selected population.
The main risk factors contributing to mortality and morbidity include obesity, alcohol intake, and tobacco smoking. Obesity is a common condition among Hispanics, where twenty percent of Hispanics are considered to be obese (Alidu, and Grunfeld, 2018). On the other hand, Hispanic children born in the united states become obese compared to children born outside the country before migration. Obesity is a risk factor for chronic and severe diseases, such as diabetes and cancer. On the other hand, smoking tobacco increases the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, which increase the mortality and morbidity rate.
According to the united states health reports, Hispanics record a higher mortality rate caused by diseases, such as liver disease, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and unintentional injuries (Alidu, and Grunfeld, 2018). The main cause of high mortality rate is environmental, social, and biological factors that lay a considerable role. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among Hispanics is caused by the use of tobacco, obesity, which is high, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
The Hispanics covers twenty-five percent of deaths that occur in the united state. Also, Hispanic population are highly affected by diabetes, which has been a primary cause of diabetes among the population. The most diagnosed hispanics with diabetes includes the Cubans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and South Americans (Alidu, and Grunfeld, 2018). Another cause of death includes cancer and liver diseases. Chronic disease, however, has been reported to be the leading cause of death, contributed by lack of urgent care and frequent check-up due to financial and social issues.
Suggest a health promotion activity for each health issue identified from your analysis.
Health promotion is very critical for Hispanic population, especially in reducing the high rate of mortality (Flora, Schooler, and Pierson, 2018). To address the central issue of low-quality education and lack of early education, disseminating of education would be an essential way of improving access to health care. Dissemination for education can be done by distributing learning materials training the population concerning health and making health education part of the curriculum to overcome the big challenge.
Additionally, the Development of carbon-free methods in households and restricting motor vehicles would play an essential role in preventing environmental hazards from affecting the health of Hispanics (Flora, Schooler, and Pierson, 2018). Also, the government should look for better areas where Hispanics can live instead of living in industrial areas, around dump sites, and unhygienic conditions, with low-quality of water. Coming up with environmental policies and strategies would also play a huge role in preventing the contraction of diseases among Hispanic, for instance, through a collection of garbage and treatment of water to avoid infections.
The big issue of health accessibility can be handled by applying the affordable care act, which ensures equal health services are offered, especially to the less privileged or minority groups (Flora, Schooler, and Pierson, 2018). The ACA would play a significant role in financing health care services, especially among non-citizens and non-documented since they cannot get public health insurance covers or afford health care services.
Creation and provision of job opportunities would play a significant role in improving the lives of Hispanics; on the other hand, learned Hispanics should be provided with high opportunities, such as administrative and managerial opportunities, to avoid discrimination (Flora, Schooler, and Pierson, 2018). However, companies with more than fifty people should provide health insurance covers to Hispanic employees, which Help in receiving quality and urgent health care services (Basu Roy, Olsen, and Tseng, 2020).
Appropriate government spending would save government investment in building more health facilities that provide affordable health care services to the population (Flora, Schooler, and Pierson, 2018). Promoting a better diet and advocating for exercises would Help in strengthening immunity and staying away from diseases, especially outbreaks. Investment in new health care systems and offering cancer screening and other types of tests like drug tests, and diabetes checks, would Help in reducing the number of people dying due to health issues.
References
Alidu, L., & Grunfeld, E. A. (2018). A systematic review of acculturation, obesity and health behaviors among migrants to high-income countries. Psychology & health, 33(6), 724-745.
Basu Roy, S., Olsen, R. N., & Tseng, H. (2020). Do Hispanic immigrants spend less on medical care? Implications of the Hispanic health paradox. Applied Economics, 52(36), 3951-3964.
Cabral, J., & Cuevas, A. G. (2020). Health inequities among Latinos/Hispanics: documentation status as a determinant of health. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 1-6.
Cabral, J., & Cuevas, A. G. (2020). Health inequities among Latinos/Hispanics: documentation status as a determinant of health. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 1-6.
Flora, J. A., Schooler, C., & Pierson, R. M. (2018). Effective health promotion among communities of color: The potential of social marketing. In Social Marketing (pp. 353-373). Psychology Press.
Zhang, T., Lee, J., Chu, T. L. A., Chen, C., & Gu, X. (2020). Accessing physical activity and health disparities among underserved Hispanic children: The role of actual and perceived motor competence. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(9), 3013.
