Introduction
Hispanics are people who can trace their origin back to the Spanish speaking regions of South America and those whose history relates to countries and towns such as Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar. However, the U.S. Bureau of Statistics uses the term to refer to the inhabitants of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico and other Spanish speaking nations in South America and the Caribbean region. For the American public, the definition of a Hispanic is broader than the definitions above. Any group of people that shares the Spanish culture is considered Hispanic regardless race or origin. In the recent past, there has been a notion that Hispanics are more susceptible to diabetes than non-Hispanics. This notion seems to be supported by findings from comparative studies, which involve Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations. The essay examines the truth behind this notion.
Demographic Information
Currently, there are about 246 million people suffering from diabetes worldwide. The figure is anticipated to reach 380 million if health agencies do not take the required measures to tackle the epidemic (Leslie, 2012). The number of women constituting this figure is more than half of the total population. In the U.S. alone, up to 21 million people are affected by diabetes and about 9.7 million of them are women. Intriguingly, the prevalence of diabetes is two to four times higher among Hispanics than it is among non-Hispanic whites. It has also been established that susceptibility to diabetes increases with age. Additional research shows that the reason behind the prevalence of diabetes in women is their poor lifestyle. About 47 percent of Hispanic women are obese.
Socioeconomic Characteristics
The socioeconomic status of Hispanics has often been lower than that of non-Hispanic whites. This state of affairs makes it hard for Hispanics to access quality healthcare services in a timely manner. The results of a study carried out in 1997 indicate that 26 percent of the Hispanic population in the U.S. lived in abject poverty at the time as compared to only 7 percent of the non-Hispanic population. Further, based on the findings of the same study, the number of Hispanics living in poverty was expected to increase since the social and economic environments tend to favor the non-Hispanic whites. This trend is persistent to date, and is the reason behind the prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics (Brown, 2008).
Severity of Health Issue
According to the National Centre for Health Statistics, Hispanics constitute the largest percentage of smokers worldwide. In terms of percentages, non-Hispanic whites constitute 29 percent, Mexicans 29 percent, Puerto Ricans 23 percent, and Cubans 26 percent of male smokers. Among women, Puerto Ricans constitute 23 percent, whites 22 percent, Cubans 18 percent and Mexicans 15 percent of smokers. Such a high number of smokers in the Hispanic community translates to more cases of diabetes. The issue of acculturation also increases the prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics. A high percentage of young Hispanic women between the ages of 19 and 44 years avoid eating traditional foods that play a critical role in reducing the incidence of diabetes (Sedaris, 2013).
Community Resources
According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey III and the National Health Interview Survey, about 37 percent of women above the age of 18 years and 30 percent of men above the age of 18 years have no access to leisure equipment. This limitation leads to non-involvement in physical exercises. The end result is the weakening of the immune system.
Geographical Distribution
Data from the Hispanic Established Population for Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly shows that many Hispanics are less likely to get healthcare services due to their remote geographical location. Their location makes it difficult to get ready transport services when there is an emergency (Colbert, 2009). As a result, most Hispanics only seek healthcare services when serious cases of illness occur. This trend leads to the rapid spread of diseases. Finally, their remote locations also make communication a problem, further limiting their ability to access healthcare services.
Environmental Conditions
The condition of the environments in which Hispanics live also adds increases their susceptibility to diabetes. As noted earlier, there is a large number of smokers among Hispanics. The resulting air pollution poses great health risks to both smokers and non-smokers. In addition, the low socioeconomic conditions that are characteristic of Hispanics make it difficult for them to rid their homes of health hazards. However, the fact that Hispanics are prone to diabetes does not mean that non-Hispanics are free from the risk of suffering from diabetes. As such, everyone should pay close attention to their lifestyles to ensure that they lead healthy lives. Otherwise, the gap between Hispanics and non-Hispanics insofar as the prevalence of diabetes is concerned will narrow or even close.
Conclusion
It is apparent that Hispanics are more susceptible to diabetes that non-Hispanics. Therefore, stakeholders should go beyond merely studying the problem and start instituting measures that will bring about a reduction in the prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics. Such an approach can go a long way in reducing the prevalence of diabetes on a global scale.
References
Brown, R. M. (2008). Diabetes: Good food choices. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Colbert, D. (2009). The New Bible cure for diabetes. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma Media.
Leslie, C. L. D. ( 2012). Diabetes: Clinician’s desk reference. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Sedaris, D. (2013). Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.