Ethnicity and culture are critical social determinants of health. Native Americans, including American Indians, have suffered from health disparities. Factors that cause such health state include income, social environment, education, social support networks, physical environment, gender, and healthy coping skills ( Knibb-Lamouche, 2012) . There are other groups of individuals who experience similar health disparities as Native Americans. These groups marginalized communities and immigrants. In my point of view, social justice dictates various aspects of people’s lives. It is a critical concern because it affects the way people live and promotes high instances of premature deaths.
Similar to American Indians, other ethnicities, such as African Americans, face health inequalities in America. There are health determinants that dictate the healthcare access by minorities. These determinants are experienced at the population, national, and community levels. They include migration, poverty, access to services, self-determination, and culture and cultural continuity ( Knibb-Lamouche, 2012) . The listed elements directly affect the health condition of marginalized communities. For instance, most of these groups experience increased levels of poverty. As a result, they cannot access better health care.
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I believe that culture should be used to enhance the health condition of the minorities. There should be culturally safe and patient-centered care to improve health outcomes. Cultural difference has been the first course of poor health conditions among the indigenous Americans and other minorities. For example, cultural misunderstanding can affect the health professional’s ability to deliver care to patients. The health expert can view a patient who is culturally different as less intelligent or be of differing intelligence, irresponsible, and less interested in health. This impression can lead to poor health status. It also promotes marginalization of other groups. Therefore, the government has to formulate laws and policies that ensure cultural equality among all the citizens. Such an act will improve the health outcomes of minorities.
References
Knibb-Lamouche, J. (2012). Culture as a social determinant of health: Examples from native communities. Institute on Medicine: Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities, Seattle . Retrieved from https://bit.ly/2qHZX2Q
