The 2010 United States census report postulated that about 36% of the total population belongs to an ethnic or racial minority. Out of this, 17% of the population belongs to the Hispanic community. The Hispanics form the largest minority group in the US. As such, it is an interesting group to compare and contrast their health status in comparison to the national average in the country. Promoting health would first require an individual to analyze the overall health including the morbidity and mortality rates of the Hispanic community. The minority group consists of different nationalities including the Mexicans, Cubans, and the Puerto Ricans among others.
Current Health Status
As earlier intimated, the Hispanics are the largest minority group in the US. Approximately one in every six people living in the country is a Hispanic. Gallo et al . (2014) asserted that the two leading causes among this group of people are heart disease cancer and heart disease accounting for almost 40% of the total deaths. Important to note is that the Hispanics have generally lower deaths compared to the whites with regards to the ten leading causes of deaths with only key exceptions in chronic liver disease and diabetes. They share the same number of deaths with the whites in deaths that result from kidney diseases. In assessing the health risk among this community, it is critical to appreciate the fact that it varies among different Hispanic sub-groups. For instance, a whopping 66% more Puerto Ricans smoke as compared to Mexicans (Gallo et al. 2014). Health risk also tends to vary with the place of birth in regards to the US or another country. Assessing the current state of health would also require one to look into the insurance rates. Research has shown that Hispanics are approximately three times likely to be uninsured in comparison to the whites. On average, the Hispanic community is averagely 15 years younger than the white counterparts.
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How the Group Defines Health Promotion
Among the Hispanic population, health population would be described as the dissemination of educational materials that function to enhance access to preventing medical care (Suárez, 2017). However, because the Hispanic community consists of many other subgroups, it would also be necessary to note that health promotion could be perceived in many different ways by these groups. For instance, focus on women could be a significant focal point of health promotion. In this regard, one would need to gain various cultural perspectives of the healthcare in the Hispanic population by listening to the women who form the primary responsibility of maintaining the health of the family. Additionally, having critical knowledge on health benefits, religion, and attitudes can play an essential role in informing relevant stakeholders on the health of the family. Health promotion would also require an understanding of some of the barriers to health among this particular group. Economic barrier tops on the list with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reporting that the poverty rate among the Hispanics is at 14.5%. The language barrier is the second major hurdle to proper healthcare with members of this community who do not speak English face immense difficulties in accessing medication. Educational advantage also plays a role in forming the barrier to healthcare (Suárez, 2017).
Health Disparities
Many health disparities exist in this minority group. The disparities mainly occur in the chronic conditions that affect members of the Hispanic group. Obesity is one of the major health problems that have recently taken a toll order among the Hispanics. According to the CDC data in 2014, the prevalence of obesity among the female Mexicans living in America between 2007 and 2010 was more than in any other group in the same period. Another significant disparity that has recently been witnessed among the Hispanics is with regards to health promotion and rates of screening. The CDC, through its research, intimated that a smaller number of the Hispanics adults aged between 50 and 75 years reported to be cognizant of the colorectal cancer screening program in 2010 than their counterparts from other racial and ethnic groups (Gallo et al. 2014). Compared to the other groups, the Hispanics are less aware of the fact that heart disease is the primary cause of death in the American population. More fundamentally, they have a lower chance of knowing if they are exposed to a certain type of medical risks such as high cholesterol and hypertension.
Solution
The most effective way that could be employed in the promotion of healthcare among the Hispanic population is through the provision of proper education at the primary level and also the efficient delivery of critical information at both the secondary and the tertiary levels. Primary prevention is a vital way of maintaining a quality life. However, those who do not understand the impact of unhealthy lifestyle would require education. Holden et al. (2014) illustrated that most Hispanics resort to the use of the emergency room for their primary care which is a costly process. However, there are alternative options such as the low-cost clinics with Spanish speaking employees that could help them with their medical needs. The secondary prevention strategy would come in once a diagnosis has occurred. Some of the tenets of the secondary prevention would encompass timely diagnosis, treatment, and further shortening the time of disability. In chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, secondary prevention would mean interrupting the spread of the disease and also preventing further complications. Finally, Holden et al . (2014) noted that tertiary prevention would mean restoring or rehabilitating people who have already experienced the progression of the disease. It, therefore, focuses on restoring the 0individual's initial state regardless of the prior debilitating condition.
References
Gallo, L. C., Penedo, F. J., Carnethon, M., Isasi, C., Sotres-Alvarez, D., Malcarne, V. L. ... & Talavera, G. P. (2014). The Hispanic community health study/study of Latinos sociocultural ancillary study: Sample, design, and procedures. Ethnicity & disease , 24 (1), 77.
Holden, K., McGregor, B., Thandi, P., Fresh, E., Sheats, K., Belton, A., ... & Satcher, D. (2014). Toward culturally centered integrative care for addressing mental health disparities among ethnic minorities. Psychological services , 11 (4), 357.
Suárez, Z. E. (2017). Hispanics and health care. In Hispanics in the United States (pp. 195-236). Routledge.
