Even though the United States is one of the most developed countries on the planet, its healthcare sector still faces several challenges. It has been almost impossible for the country to achieve a universal healthcare system for its citizens truly and the cost of seeking healthcare services has remained unaffordable to many people who are not insured. The United States is a very diverse country, comprised of many different people from various walks of life. An analysis of the country’s population will reveal that almost every race and nationality is represented because the country is made up the white majority and other minority groups such as African Americans and the Hispanic people ( Forney-Gorman & Kozhimannil, 2016) . Due to the different ways of life led by these minority groups, each one of them has a different health status and challenges. This paper is aimed at analyzing the health status of the African American minority group.
To analyze the health status of African Americans, it is important to understand who they are. African Americans are an ethnic minority group in the United States who claim ancestry from different ethnic groups in Africa. They are the descendants of black people who were enslaved in the United States centuries ago. Due to the differences in their culture and way of life, African Americans have a unique health status. An analysis of their health status reveals that they are more prone to cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and cancer compared to the white majority found in the United States ( Logan & Parman, 2014). Various socioeconomic variables have influenced the health status of African Americans. The substandard and inadequate housing that they were accustomed to during slavery is still visible today. Logan and Parman (2014) observed that most African Americans are subjected to poor and inadequate housing while at the same time having inadequate nutrition. Such factors have contributed to the differences that exist between the health status of African Americans and other ethnic groups in the United States.
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There are several health disparities and nutritional challenges faced by African Americans. Even though the top causes of death for all the ethnic groups in the United States are the same, the risk factors and mortality rates from the same diseases are higher among African Americans than the whites. Cancer, which is the second leading cause of death in the United States, claimed more lives among African Americans than among the non-Hispanic whites Americans. The age-adjusted incidence in every 100, 000 people was higher among African American females than in non-Hispanic women. Rectal cancer had 54.0 versus 43.3 while stomach cancer had 2.0 versus 4.5 ( Forney-Gorman & Kozhimannil, 2016) . Forney-Gorman and Kozhimannil (2016) further note that a part from health disparities, African Americans also face several nutritional challenges. Studies have established that fruit and nutrients intake among African Americans was low compared to non-Hispanic white Americans. Most African Americans also consumed more fatty foods which have a lot of cholesterol compared to the non-Hispanic whites Americans. The frequency with which they consume their meals is also lower compared to other ethnic groups in the United States.
An observation of the African American minority group reveals several barriers to health that they face. The barriers can be classified into two, which are intrinsic barriers and extrinsic barriers. Extrinsic barriers include factors such as culture, costs, and language barriers. Intrinsic barriers may include fear to seek medical health, lack of knowledge, mistrust, and fatalism (Wiltshire et al ., 2016) . The literacy rate among African Americans is relatively low, meaning that a number of them have not received an adequate formal education. This makes it difficult for them to understand the importance of seeking medical health and the most appropriate time to seek help. The high cost of healthcare in the United States also prevents most of them from accessing the much-needed services because a large percentage of African Americans cannot afford the healthcare costs (Wiltshire et al ., 2016). Furthermore, the healthcare institutions found in neighborhoods where most African Americans live provide poor services to their patients leading to increased fatalities. The experiences that most African Americans face when they visit such health institutions prevent them from frequently seeking medical help.
Several health promotion activities are used to improve the health status of African Americans. Different institutions in the United States have launched campaigns aimed at encouraging African Americans to pay close attention to improving child and family nutrition. The campaigns encourage people to eat healthier and balanced diets. Another health promotion activity is the promotion of physical activity among members of the African American community so as to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, campaigns such as the ones promoting breastfeeding are designed to promote better health and immunity among children. Health promotion activities have yielded fruits as there has been a visible change in the health of African Americans in recent years ( Benz et al ., 2014) .
Healthcare promotion among African Americans requires different approaches. One of the primary approaches that are most likely to be successful is the promotion of physical activities ( Benz et al ., 2014) . The encouragement of physical activity among African Americans will definitely contribute to health promotion because the approach is enjoyable and most people like engaging in physical activities. The encouragement of physical activities will prevent people from falling victim to cardiovascular diseases and also obesity ( Benz et al ., 2014) . The participation in various physical activities will, in the end, save healthcare costs that would have been used if individuals would not have practice healthy living.
Several cultural beliefs must be taken into consideration before creating a care plan for African Americans. Most African Americans still equate good health to success or luck while poor health is associated with bad luck ( Waites & Onolemhemhen, 2014) . It is common to find many African Americans seeking medical health only after all the home remedies have failed to yield the desired results. With this kind of belief, it is essential that a care plan is designed with the consideration that the patients also regard home remedies as a solution.
The analysis of the health status of African Americans reveals huge differences with other ethnic groups in the United States. It is evident that they are more prone to cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and cancer compared to the white majority found in the United States. African Americans also face some nutritional challenges such as the lack of proper intake of fruits and healthy diets. It is also important that African American Americans face both intrinsic and extrinsic barriers. Extrinsic barriers include factors such as culture, costs, and language barriers while intrinsic barriers may consist of fear to seek medical health, lack of knowledge, mistrust, and fatalism. From the analysis, it is clear that a lot needs to be done to improve the health status of African Americans.
References
Benz, J. K., Espinosa, O., Welsh, V., & Fontes, A. (2014). Awareness of racial and ethnic health disparities has improved only modestly over a decade. Health Affairs, 30 (10), 1860-7.
Forney-Gorman, A., & Kozhimannil, K. B. (2016). Differences in cervical cancer screening between African-American versus African-born black women in the United States. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 18 (6), 1371-1377. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0267-0
Logan, T. D., & Parman, J. M. (2014). The dynamics of African-American health: A historical perspective. Review of Black Political Economy, 41 (3), 299-318. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12114-014-9180-3
Waites, C. E., & Onolemhemhen, D. N. (2014). Perceptions of healthy aging among African-American and Ethiopian elders. Ageing International, 39 (4), 369-384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-014-9203-1
Wiltshire, J. C., Elder, K., Kiefe, C., & Allison, J. J. (2016). Medical debt and related financial consequences among older African American and white adults. American Journal of Public Health, 106 (6), 1086-1091.
