Introduction
During the last several decades, disability remains an emerging issue in public health. At this moment, more than 56.7 million Americans live with disabilities that range from mild to severe at different ages (Healthy People 2020, 2020). However, one should admit that a disability never identifies people and their true interests, and it is a responsibility of a community to present appropriate and supportive living conditions. The problem is that someone could think that if a person has a disability, there is no requirement to enhance regular daily activities and offer preventive care services. Population-based data systems have to be increased to monitor people with disabilities and offer health promotion programs for specific communities. It is important to raise awareness of disabilities because even if an individual does not face them directly, understanding other people’s needs helps avoid prejudice and offer support. In this paper, the lack of health promotion programs for Hispanics with disabilities will be discussed through current epidemiological data to clarify what Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) interventions are effective for the citizens of Texas.
Problem
It is never possible to be prepared for a life with a disability, but many organizations promote the necessity to educate the population and implement special programs and interventions. In the United States, there is health insurance coverage for working-age adults who have disabilities under the Affordable Care Act (Kennedy et al., 2017). However, many Americans, especially those who live in Texas are bothered of losing their medical benefits due to recent changes in the healthcare system. Therefore, attention is paid to the steps that can be done to strengthen people’s awareness of disabilities and available services.
Differences in healthcare characteristics for people with disabilities exist around the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020a), about 25.6% of American adults have some type of disability, and the same percentage of adults live in Texas. More than 50% of Texas citizens are inactive because of their disabilities, 45% of the population with disabilities have high blood pressure, and 24% of them continue smoking. Many types of disabilities may be diagnosed in people. Particularly, in Texas, serious walking difficulties are observed in 13% of the population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020a). Cognitive problems (lack of concentration or poor decision-making) are diagnosed in 11.7%, and hearing or vision difficulties are reported by 5.2% (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020a). Medicare and Medicaid programs cover the needs of specific groups of people, but not all of them can obtain quality help.
The problem of few health promotion programs for minority groups challenges Texas and the United States in general. Less-educated adults observe worse general health and a number of chronic conditions associated with their disabilities (Zajacova & Lawrence, 2018). Garcia et al. (2017) underline that Hispanics (especially the aging population) need to know more about disabilities and their modifiable factors to avoid risks of depression, stroke, and other complications. Therefore, new public policies, technological advancements, and direct cooperation with the population are necessary.
Descriptive Epidemiology
The analysis of descriptive epidemiological and demographical data is an opportunity to learn more about the distribution of disabilities among Americans and the problems related to the lack of education and health promotion programs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020b) states that 61 million Americans live with a disability, with its highest percentage in the South. One in three citizens with disability do not have a regular healthcare provider because of poor awareness of the problem or high costs of medical services (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020b). It means that they miss their regular check-ups, do not receive the necessary education, and cannot manage their disabilities. Inequalities in health and mortality continue increasing dramatically due to the differences in education (Zajacova & Lawrence, 2018). According to O’Leary et al. (2018), people with intellectual disabilities die at an earlier age (by 20 years) compared to the general population. Improved health care and initiatives addressing lifestyle behaviors are recommended to reduce this gap and create systems for different groups of people.
HP2020Application
Disability and health is one of the major topic areas of HP2020. The goal of the organization is to maximize human health and prevent the development of chronic diseases among people with disabilities at any age. It is expected to promote health equity and improve social and environmental living conditions for all people, regardless of their origins, race, ethnicity, or gender (Healthy People 2020, 2020). Everyone deserves the right for a high quality of life, and the representatives of HP2020 believe that the US government is able to create certain opportunities. Disability is a part of human existence, and instead of ignoring or paying too much attention, people should know how to treat it properly. The expansion of educational resources and the systems that could identify and monitor people with disabilities is required (Healthy People 2020, 2020). The development of health departments that conduct surveillance and health care for people with disabilities is planned (Healthy People 2020, 2020). Public health schools and programs should be opened and accessible to all people older than 18 who experience delays in primary or preventive care.
Prevention and Health Promotion
Regarding the organizational nature of the problem and the intentions of the government to help people with disabilities, prospects to provide Hispanics with disability awareness programs are good. Population-level prevention and health promotion in the face of disability are possible through the prism of two interventions. First, Garcia et al. (2017) mention the importance of culturally sensitive interventions for immigrants and minorities. Low physical activities may be explained by the lack of familiar people, unawareness of the region, or person fears of being exposed as disabled. The creation of small, supportive groups with the purpose of educating and promoting physical exercises needs several volunteers and professional nurses to take care of the participants. Zajacova and Lawrence (2018) introduce another recommendation that includes the establishment of a dialogue between researchers and policymakers. When researchers conduct their surveys and studies to gather public opinion or estimate the number of people with disabilities, policymakers could use their findings and realize what help should be offered to the population. This cooperation is characterized by a number of further benefits and ways to reduce the knowledge gap in disability and health.
Conclusion
In general, living with a disability is not a new issue in public health. Many Americans, regardless of their origins or races, may be diagnosed with a disability. They, their families, or other caregivers should learn how to manage this condition and avoid severe complications. In Texas, not all citizens with disabilities have access to equal primary and preventive care or education, which results in worse general health compared to people who do not have disabilities. Hispanics need culturally sensitive interventions, and HP2020 set the goals to stabilize population-based data systems and increase the number of health promotion schools in different regions. The creation of supportive groups for people with disabilities and the promotion of cooperation between researchers and policymakers are the two recommendations to prevent disability-related complications and mortality rates.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020a). Disability & health U.S. state profile data for Texas (Adults 18+ years of age). Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020b). Disability impacts all of us. Web.
Garcia, M. A., Downer, B., Crowe, M., & Markides, K. S. (2017). Aging and disability among Hispanics in the United States: Current knowledge and future directions. Innovation in Aging, 1(2). Web.
Healthy People 2020. (2020). Disability and health. Healthypeople.gov. Web.
Kennedy, J., Wood, E. G., & Fieden, L. (2017). Disparities in insurance coverage, health services use, and access following implementation of the Affordable Care Act: A comparison of disabled and nondisabled working-age adults. Inquiry, 54. Web.
O’Leary, L., Cooper, S. A., & Hughes‐McCormack, L. (2018). Early death and causes of death of people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 31(3), 325-342. Web.
Zajacova, A., & Lawrence, E. M. (2018). The relationship between education and health: reducing disparities through a contextual approach. Annual Review of Public Health, 39, 273-289. Web.