ipl-logo

Health Literacy In African American Culture Essay

1267 Words6 Pages

Healthcare providers must understand how health traditions and views impact health outcomes in African American communities. Each culture has different preferences for how they navigate healthcare systems, so it is imperative health providers are culturally competent in care for all cultures. Health literacy is a major factor in the African American community, which stems from multiple barriers to healthcare. Low health literacy in Black communities is rooted in historical power structures where discriminatory policies were present systems (Muvuka et al., 2020). When there are discriminatory policies and practices are in place, it hinders individuals from accessing skills and resources to understand health outcomes. Systemic factors also contribute …show more content…

Omenka et al. (2020) studied the health experiences and needs of the African American population in the United States. The results showed that in the United States, healthcare providers have scare knowledge of the Black population compared to other cultures and ethnicities (Omenka et al., 2020). Omenka et al. (2020) explain this gap in knowledge regarding health experiences and needs in Black populations is due to low research in health around the Black community, and the view that all Black populations are the same and have the same healthcare needs. The study proves a need for improvement in our health delivery systems around cultural competency. If healthcare providers understand cultural perspectives around illnesses, providers will understand what shapes African American health experiences and decision-making (Omenka et al., 2020). For example, African Americans view diseases such as cancer as a spiritual issue, so they are more likely to seek traditional healing in their home countries (Omenka et al., 2020). The African American individuals will not want the typical treatment of chemotherapy that is used in the United States to treat cancer. With a lack of culturally competent providers in the United States, African Americans are more likely to have a distrust in health systems, which can put them at risk of negative health outcomes. The complexity of the United States healthcare system, the cost of care, and bias healthcare provider attitudes hinder healthcare systems from learning more about the African American healthcare needs and experiences. In all healthcare delivery systems, providers must know how to address the health concerns of all

Show More
Related
573 Words | 3 Pages

Racial division had fueled medical policies for years. African Americans were practically treated like test monkeys, receiving potentially fatal injections and having samples taken from their bodies without their consent. These practices resulted in the Lacks family not receiving their deserved compensation, ultimately revolutionizing the medical industry’s outlook on how minority patients should be cared

Read More
206 Words | 1 Pages

After reading Dr. Galanti 's articles about culturally competent healthcare please answer the following questions: What did you gain from reading Dr. Galanti 's article? Dr. Galanti provides insight into the relationship between cultural diversity and heath care providers. Dr. Galanti’s briefly states the difference between “stereotype and generalization”. The author recognizes that generalization may be a key factor used by workers in the health care community to bring awareness and a better understanding of cultural differences among patients. The article explains that although cultures differ in values, traditions, and beliefs, there are questions (the 4’C’s of culture) that may open up the line of communication, between provider and

Read More
540 Words | 3 Pages

Background statement: Heritage Valley Medical Center has had a wonderful reputation for providing excellent health care services to their community. Initially, their community was 80% Caucasian, 40% African American, and 5% Hispanic. However, in the last 5 years, the population has changed to more minorities and the whites have moved out to the suburbs. This caused the Center’s occupancy rate to go down 40% because many of their traditional, more affluent, private-pay patients had left the neighborhood. To bring in revenue, they campaigned to bring in more Medicaid patients.

Read More
1283 Words | 6 Pages

Sims even documented that he operated on one woman 30 times without anesthesia. After he perfected his procedure, he later performed the procedure on White women with anesthesia. While this article gives an excellent history of why Black Americans do not trust healthcare in America, it does not answer the question “How can Black people improve healthcare for

Read More
502 Words | 3 Pages

The reading states African-Americans and Hispanics tend to receive lower quality healthcare, more likely than Whites to receive less desirable treatments for their illnesses, and differences exist with disease prevention, clinical factors, clinical settings such as hospitals which can lead to an increase in mortality for minorities because they are not receiving the same quality of care as Whites (Smedley & Smedley). I find this information to be very unsettling. In the first assignment for this week, I stated one of my beliefs is all people have the right to access healthcare regardless of their ability to pay, and now I need to add to that statement “and regardless of

Read More
499 Words | 2 Pages

As a low-income, first-generation Mexican American/college graduate, my personal identities and experiences uniquely position me to contribute to RFU’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts (DEI). Through my journey, I have encountered various challenges and triumphs that have shaped my perspective and deepened my commitment to promoting DEI in healthcare and beyond. My lived experience growing up in an economically disadvantaged and medically underserved community has heightened my awareness of the healthcare disparities and inequities that exist, especially being raised in a traditional Hispanic household. It has fueled my passion to address these issues and advocate for accessible, culturally sensitive, and equitable healthcare.

Read More
755 Words | 4 Pages

The Bayou Region of Louisiana has seen a consistent increase of environmental disasters which have negatively impacted the physical, emotional, and financial well beings of residents in these parishes. Over the past decade, as a result of tragedies such as Hurricanes Gustav, Katrina, Rita and the BP oil spill. The Health Resource Services Administration defines medically underserved as having a physician shortage of primary care providers, high rates of infant deaths, high poverty or high elderly population. Despite the continual efforts to stabilize healthcare delivery in this region we have seen a significant increase in infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, mental health disorders and other healthcare disparities for minorities in this population. The majority of these patients are low-income, 65% are uninsured, 13% have Medicaid and 75 % are minorities inclusive of African Americans, Hispanic and others.

Read More
1042 Words | 5 Pages

There have been many instances in which people of color have been denied medical help because of racial discrimination against them. In the book, “Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care”, Dr. Gordon Moskowitz states “A physician’s recollection of stereotyped information she or he associates with a patient’s racial or ethnic group may crowd out the physician’s unbiased assessment and treatment decisions about the individual minority patient she or he is treating.”. In “A Worn Path”, Welty does an excellent job demonstrating the bias held against Phoenix Jackson. Phoenix being a black woman was racially discriminated against all throughout her journey.

Read More
488 Words | 2 Pages

Health care has been a topic of concern for many individuals in the United States, particularly for black women. Historically, black women have faced numerous barriers in accessing appropriate health care. Despite the efforts made to address the disparities, black women continue to experience numerous challenges in the healthcare industry. This essay will explore the factors that make it difficult for black women to access quality healthcare and the potential solutions to this issue.

Read More
1260 Words | 6 Pages

Individuals with higher socioeconomic status typically have better access to healthcare, education, and resources that promote healthy living. However, historical experience, such as the traumatic past of American Indians, also plays a significant role in shaping their health outcomes and attitudes toward healthcare systems. Furthermore, cultural beliefs and practices heavily influence how individuals perceive health, illness, and healing, leading some cultures to prefer traditional healers over modern healthcare systems. Finally, the geographic location of individuals also influences their ability to access healthcare facilities, with those living in rural or isolated areas having limited options for healthcare systems. These multiple factors, including socioeconomic status, cultural beliefs and practices, historical experience, and geographic location, collectively shape the healthcare experiences and outcomes of the growing American Indian population aged 65 years and

Read More
1239 Words | 5 Pages

According to Webster, Wellness is the state or condition of being in good physical and mental health. Although, African-American are considered to be the minority in America we are a huge fraction of the diseased American population. African Americans are 60% more likely to contract diabetes; also African Americans are more likely to suffer kidney disease, resulting from diabetes. 3 million African American’s have diabetes; the more astonish fact is that a third of the people with diabetes are oblivious to the fact they have it. African American’s develop high blood pressure earlier in life than other Americans; 45% of black women have the affliction.

Read More
907 Words | 4 Pages

In recent times, the subject of health disparities has attracted a lot of attention through the media report in both local and national level.in this essay, the health condition of African American will be discussed in this in the following areas as their health status, barriers to health, diverse population and disparities, and health promotion approach to improving this situation. Health Status: According to the 2014 National Health Interview Survey, 13.5% of all African Americans have less than average health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014a). Averagely, the African-American have higher prevalence of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension compared to the national ratio. Further study reveals that 48

Read More
320 Words | 2 Pages

African Americans African Americans are decedents of Africa that now live in America. They do not all carry the same cultural and ethnic beliefs though, and are a very diverse group of people. This diverse group does in fact have some overall similarities in their practices and beliefs. Some of the health beliefs that are similar are having a strong social support, caring about their community, using home remedies and faith healers for their health, and having fears of dying from cancer. Many turn to God and pray first and this can lead to a delay in getting professional medical help and treatment.

Read More
1064 Words | 5 Pages

African Americans are also less likely to trust medical treatments. Furthermore, the individuals who cannot afford insurance are more valuable to illnesses, including sexual health issues. LGBTQ African Americans also experience mental health

Read More
1617 Words | 7 Pages

The way a person thinks about health, “whether that is our ‘philosophy’, our ‘worldview’, our ‘framework’ influences what we do as individuals in practice,” as well as how we deliver the health service. These elements allow us to think about healthcare in our own culturally acceptable way, this isn’t always an acceptable way of delivering the service to people with views different to our own. Cultural competence is an approach that aids in influencing the service and the education of healthcare professionals. (Taylor, K., & Guerin, P., 2010). Cultural competence is defined as a knowledge and understanding of cultures, histories and contemporary realities and awareness of protocols, combined with the proficiency to engage and work effectively in a cultural context congruent to the expectations of the people of that culture.

Read More

More about Health Literacy In African American Culture Essay

Related Topics

Open Document