Introduction
Statistics have revealed that the Hispanics and Latinos in the society have a higher risk of developing heart related diseases than other ethnic groups. This is because they have a higher propensity rate for high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. This paper looks at data covering heart disease among Hispanic/Latinos, with a focus on the rates of development of the diseases, and a comparison between these rates with the state-level statistics. The paper will focus on Westminster County and the statistics collected from Colorado.
Demographic and epidemiological data
One of the causes of the rise in the case of heart diseases in Westminster is the literacy rate of the Hispanic/Latinos in the county. Most of the cases of heart diseases among the Hispanic/Latinos in Westminster are caused by the lifestyle that the victims lead. For instance, statistics reveal that 75% of the Hispanic/Latino people in the County are overweight. This could be a result of the lack of acquaintance with information regarding the role of excess weight and obesity in the development of heart diseases. Statistics also indicate that at least 30% of Hispanic/Latinos in the county are diabetic, and the majority of the people are not aware of their conditions. It is also apparent that the number of Hispanic/Latino that is diagnosed with diabetes is 2.4 times higher than that of the non-Hispanic population in the region (Hispanics and Heart Disease, Stroke, 2015). The second cause of heart related diseases among Latinos in the County is smoking. Statistics from the American Heart Association (AHA) for 2013 indicate that 20.5% of the Latino teenagers are smokers. The lack of physical activity is also a causal factor for the high prevalence rate of heart diseases among Hispanic/Latinos in Westminster. 21.3% of the Hispanic members of the Westminster do not engage in physical activities to enhance their wellness state.
According to the City census of Westminster, CO, the Hispanic/Latinos make up 20.7% of the population. There are only 8.3% Hispanic/Latinos business firms in the city, which indicates that the financial status of this group of people is quite low (Westminster (city), Colorado, 2015). This may translate to higher risks of different diseases, including heart diseases, because the Hispanic/Latinos might not have access to preventive health care services and health insurance. Studies have revealed that people with limited access to preventive health care are more prone to develop undetected complications of the cardiac system. In 2010, the Colorado Latino health summit found that the Latinos in the state were facing challenges in accessing health care services. This phenomenon was mainly caused by cultural barriers (Graham, 2013). The Healthy People 2020 has objectives to eliminate disparities in the access to health care, and it is apparent that the Westminster City requires fundamental changes in the access to health care services. The elimination of race and ethnicity barriers to healthcare access should be the primary objective of the healthy people 2020 campaign in Colorado (Disparities, 2015). This is because ethnicity and social class are some of the underlying issues to the health outcomes of the Hispanic/Latinos in the city.
Comparison with State statistics
A comparison between the demographic and epidemiological data of Westminster, CO, and the entire state reveals a similar trend in health disparities between the Hispanic/Latinos, and the non-Hispanic/Latinos. There is a total of 1 million Latinos in Colorado, and this makes 20% of the state’s population. There is a 0.7% difference between the percentage population of Latinos in Westminster and the entire state. State level data indicates that the Latinos are the fasted growing population in Colorado. 25% of the 1 million Latinos have been diagnosed with obesity, compared to 18.3% for the rest of the population. Latinos have an average household income of $16,074, which is below the Colorado State median income level. This data reveals that this population is facing adverse poverty, and this is a contributing factor to the increasing rate heart diseases among the Hispanic/Latinos. The literacy level of the Latinos in the state has been increasing, with 55.8% of the Latinos graduating from high school. This is, however, a lower percentage compared to the average 72.4% graduation rate for the entire state. Low heart health outcomes among the Hispanic/Latinos are caused by the low attainment of educational landmarks. Diabetes is a major factor in the development of heart diseases, and it is rated at 8th position of the main causes of death among the people of Colorado. However, diabetes is listed as the 5th main cause of death among the Latinos in the state (Graham, 2013).
Windshield survey
During the windshield survey, it was apparent that a big number of the people in the streets of Westminster were overweight. There was a sign that a considerable size of the population was impoverished because of the many idle people soliciting money in the corners. The two private hospitals in the city are for profit, meaning that not many people can afford their services because Medicare and Medicaid are not acceptable in the facilities.
Conclusion
According to the demographic and epidemiological data collected by different studies, the Hispanic/Latinos in the state have a higher propensity rate for the development of heart diseases because of poverty, poor educational attainments, and poor lifestyle choices. According to the data, the interplay between these causal factors and the development of heart disease is highly correlated among the Hispanic/Latinos.
References
Disparities. (2015). Web.
Graham, S. (2013). Bridging the Hispanic Health Divide. Web.
Hispanics and Heart Disease, Stroke. (2015). Web.
Westminster (city), Colorado. (2015). Web.