Introduction
The problem that was identified as endangering the health of the selected population is type 2 diabetes. Statistics show that more than 10% of all adults living in New York have been told that they had diabetes in 2017 (America’s Health Rankings, 2017).
In the Bronx, adults from 45 to 65 years old are one of the groups most affected by type 2 diabetes. The community of the Bronx is defined by a diversity of ethnic groups with the prevalence of people who identify as Hispanic and African American (NYAM, 2014). Thus, the culture of the region is primarily influenced by these communities, including their religious and social ideologies. Currently, the problem of type 2 diabetes is considered to be an epidemic in the United States, and this issue has a significant impact on the African American community of the Bronx.
Health Problem and Population
They discussed health issue is type 2 diabetes – an acquired condition that is characterized by insulin resistance or insufficiency. According to the CDC (2018), the majority of people with diabetes have the second type, with people older than 45 being the largest affected group. Diabetes is a serious chronic disease that cannot be fully treated but can be managed. Moreover, some activities and behaviors are thought to reduce the risk of developing the condition. For example, healthy eating and exercise are strongly connected to type 2 diabetes and obesity, one of the risk factors (Albu et al., 2017). Another possible patient factor is race – non-white Americans are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than white people (Menke, Casagrande, Geiss, & Cowie, 2015).
The population explored in this paper is represented by African American adults from 45 to 65 years old who live in the Bronx. In this community, diabetes is considered to be one of the most pressing problems for people of all ages (NYAM, 2014). In the Bronx, African Americans have higher rates of mortality, hospitalizations, and complications for diabetes than other groups, as can be seen in Table 1. The statistics for New York City and State reveal similar results, with the Bronx being a large contributor to such high numbers (NYAM, 2014).
Table 1. Diabetes Indicators in the Bronx, New York City, and State by Ethnicity/Race.
(“Bronx County health,” 2016; “New York City health,” 2016; “New York State health,” 2016).
The statistics also reveal a connection between diabetes development and socioeconomic factors. Type 2 diabetes is prevalent in people with the lowest incomes and low levels of education (America’s Health Rankings, 2017). It can be suggested that these individuals cannot have access to medical care and good products which can help prevent or manage the disease. The link between these findings and the population of the Bronx is strong as well. In the Bronx, more than 200,000 people are uninsured, constituting almost 10% of all people without health care insurance in the New York State (NYAM, 2014). Many of these people cannot afford medical assistance because they live below the poverty line.
Conclusion
The problem of diabetes is well documented on such health websites as the CDC, America’s Health Rankings, and New York Health. Their findings suggest that non-white adults over the age of 45 are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially if they do not have financial resources to access health care. The population of the Bronx is primarily defined by such groups as African Americans and Hispanics. The communities living in this borough have a higher rate of diabetes than those living in the city and the state. The connection between people’s economic constraints and their living conditions explains why this type of diabetes is widespread in the community.
References
Albu, J. B., Sohler, N., Li, R., Li, X., Young, E., Gregg, E. W., & Ross-Degnan, D. (2017). An interrupted time series analysis to determine the effect of an electronic health record–based intervention on appropriate screening for type 2 diabetes in urban primary care clinics in New York City. Diabetes Care, 40(8), 1058-1064.
America’s Health Rankings. (2017). Diabetes in New York. Web.
Bronx County health indicators by race/ethnicity, 2012-2014. (2016). Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2018). Type 2 diabetes. Web.
Menke, A., Casagrande, S., Geiss, L., & Cowie, C. C. (2015). Prevalence of and trends in diabetes among adults in the United States, 1988-2012. JAMA, 314(10), 1021-1029.
New York Academy of Medicine [NYAM]. (2014). New York City health provider partnership: Bronx community needs assessment. Web.
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (2006). Diabetes is epidemic. Health Bulletin, 5(4). Web.
New York City health indicators by race/ethnicity. (2016). Web.
New York State health indicators by race/ethnicity. (2016). Web.