Hispanic Population with Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most widespread and dangerous diseases that affect multiple populations across the world. However, given the health disparities related to race and ethnicity play an important role in the prevalence of particular illnesses in specific communities. According to the Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2019), “Hispanic adults are 1.7 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults” to be diagnosed with diabetes and 1.4 times more like to die from this illness (para. 1). Therefore, it is vital to develop a system of health recommendations that would promote the prevention of diabetes in Hispanic Americans with regards to their disproportionate exposure to diabetes.
Since diabetes is predominantly a result of obesity and overweight, the primary care health promotion recommendation must contain professional guidance for a healthy diet. Nutritious food consumption with the elimination of a high level of fat, sugar, and simple carbohydrates should be promoted through doctor consultations, information dissemination, and community-based promotional work. Apart from obesity, other risk factors contributing to the development of diabetes include cigarette smoking, hypertension, and high level of cholesterol (Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019). Thus, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle should entail the encouragement of the population to cease smoking and monitor for cholesterol levels. Moreover, physical activity and regular daily routines must be encouraged in the Hispanic population at risk of diabetes. Lifestyle adjustments might be facilitated using evidence-based e-health tools or specifically designed professional-assisted programs for obesity prevention, smoking cessation, and healthy dieting.
African Americans with Hypertension
Although hypertension is identified as a health concern of older adults, this illness is disproportionately affecting African American population. A wide range of health disparities impacting this racial minority is rooted in the insufficient cultural sensitivity of health care and socio-economic determinants of health attributed to the population (Cooper et al., 2016). As a common chronic disease, hypertension is most often diagnosed in African Americans. In particular, as stated by Murray et al. (2018), in American adults aged 18 and older, “the prevalence is 41% for African Americans and 28% for whites” (p. 455). Considering such a high level of occurrence of hypertension in this population, evidence-based health promotion recommendations are to be provided.
To identify the most effective interventions that might help African Americans mitigate the risks of developing hypertension, one should state the prevalent risk factors. They include increased blood pressure, alcohol abuse, smoking, and an unhealthy diet. Control of blood pressure is one of the key elements in recommendations for the population at risk of hypertension. Indeed, as Cooper et al. (2016) state, effective blood pressure monitoring allows for timely response to deviation and provides an opportunity for minimizing the threats of developing hypertension and its complications. Furthermore, the promotion of the necessity of eliminating smoking and drinking as harmful lifestyle behaviors is an effective measure of ensuring better heart-related health outcomes for the vulnerable population. Physical activity and a nutritious, balanced diet constitute the basis of a healthy lifestyle that contributes to normal blood pressure and eliminates the risks for hypertension. Thus, the African American community should obtain evidence-based health promotion, including the recommendations mentioned above to address and prevent hypertension.
References
Cooper, L. A., Purnell, T. S., Ibe, C. A., Halbert, J. P., Bone, L. R., Carson, K. A., Simmons, M., Vachon, A., Robb, I., Martin-Daniels, M., Dietz, K. B., Golden, S. H., Crews, D. C., Hill-Briggs, F., Marsteller, J. A., Boulware, E., Miller, E. R. III, & Levine, D. M. (2016). Reaching for health equity and social justice in Baltimore: The evolution of an academic-community partnership and conceptual framework to address hypertension disparities. Ethnicity & Disease, 26(3), 369–378.
Murray, M. D., Hendrie, H. C., Lane, K. A., Zheng, M., Ambuehl, R., Li, S., Unverzagt, F. W., Callahan, C. M., & Gao, S. (2018). Antihypertensive medication and dementia risk in older adult African Americans with hypertension: A prospective cohort study. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 33(4), 455–462.
Office of Minority Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). Diabetes and Hispanic Americans. Web.