Population Health Issue

Introduction

According to recent epidemiological statistics by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, African Americans are two times more likely to develop diabetes mellitus as compared to other individuals from different racial backgrounds. Of primary concern is that this racial disparity has been on an upward trajectory in the past three decades(CDC, 2020). Notably, most policymakers have attributed the high incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus among African-Americans to various social determinants of health. For instance, African Americans are more likely to reside in underserved areas that lack basic health facilities as well as accessibility to fresh produce. Besides, the vast proportion of African Americans also lack a high school diploma, which significantly affects their ability to make rational health decisions(CDC, 2020). Hence, the following literature aims to critically analyze the population health issue of diabetes mellitus or, rather type (ii) diabetes among African Americans. Besides the article will also propose interventions that may be applied to address the issue of diabetes mellitus within this population. Our assignment writing help is at affordable prices to students of all academic levels and academic disciplines.

Diabetes Mellitus among African-Americans

Epidemiological statistics by the CDC indicate that an estimated 11.5% of the American population suffers from diabetes mellitus. In the report, diabetes mellitus was diagnosed stood at 14.5% among African Americans, followed by 8.25% of white people in the United States. The agency attributes the high incidence of diabetes mellitus among African Americans to a wide range of issues, including the inability to access regular health checkups, with only 1 in every 10 African-Americans being able to undergo checkups that can catch the condition before it progresses (CDC, 2020).

Other than that, the other major cause of the disparity can be seen from the lens of socioeconomic barriers. Hicklin (2018) affirms that African Americans encounter numerous forms of discrimination, particularly in terms of income. As such, the cost of healthcare with or without insurance poses an immense barrier to the early detection and effective management of diabetes mellitus. Ultimately, the white-centric culture of the American healthcare culture has further exacerbated the situation. Most of the clinical trials of diabetes treatments have primarily focused on white participants. Subsequently, clinicians treating diabetes mellitus among African Americans have primarily based their treatment recommendations on information that is only tailored for white populations(Marshall, 2018).

Interventions to Improve Health Outcomes

To improve diabetes mellitus outcomes among African Americans, there are three main strategies that local, state, and national levels of government ought to focus on, including health behaviors, clinical care, and social and economic factors.

Health behaviors: Awareness ought to be generated on some of the health behaviors that predispose African-Americans to diabetes mellitus. This may come in the form of a sedentary lifestyle alongside the consumption of food rich in calories. Therefore, to address the issue of diet, community kitchens that provide nutritional education ought to be introduced in areas concentrated on African Americans. Marshall (2018) defines community kitchens as spaces where community members may disseminate knowledge and resources on preparing, cooking, and consuming healthy food. One expected benefit that can be realized through such an initiative is the increased consumption of healthy food. Besides, African-American conclaves also ought to be equipped with resources that spur physical activity, such as parks, cycling lanes, and community gyms.

Clinical Care: Clinical care encompasses all factors contributing to diabetes care accessibility alongside the quality of care accorded to this vulnerable population. It is paramount that the local, state and national governments increase funding for federally qualified health centers. Such centers play a pivotal role in increasing care accessibility for underserved individuals who are uninsured and underinsured, irrespective of their ability to remit payments. Besides, healthcare organizations must also emphasize the use of evidence-based practice in the treatment and management of diabetes mellitus rather than using the conventional one-size-fits-all approach(Marshall, 2018).

Social and Economic Factors: Ultimately, it is paramount that healthcare policy-makers formulate policies that cushion this vulnerable group against discrimination in employment, income, and insurance coverage. Notably, all these factors significantly contribute to diabetes mellitus disparity among African Americans.

Sources of Data for Determinants of Health

One source of data that has been utilized to examine the determinants of health of African Americans is the Census Bureau. The agency provides comprehensive information concerning the average household income in African-American households, the rate of insurance, and the employment rate for this population. Besides, Healthy People 2020 has also offered valuable insights concerning a broad range of objectives that can help contain the disparity.

Comparison of Diabetes Mellitus Disparity

Racial Background	Incidence rate per 100,000 people	Mortality Rate
African-Americans	11.5	15%
Non-African-Americans	6.7	9%

Source: (Spanakis & Golden, 2019)

Conclusion

Diabetes mellitus is a seriously debilitating condition linked with high morbidity and mortality rates. In the United States, blacks face significant disparity in diabetes treatment and management that is largely brought about by poor health behaviors, poor accessibility to care, and poor social and economic conditions. The following paper has addressed some of the interventions that can aid in reducing the disparity of diabetes mellitus among African Americans.

References

CDC. (2020, June 11). Why is diabetes mellitus common among African Americans? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html

Hicklin, T. (2018). Factors Contributing to Higher Incidence of Diabetes for Black Americans. National Institutes of Health (NIH). https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/factors-contributing-higher-incidence-diabetes-black-americans

Marshall, M. C. (2018). Diabetes in African Americans. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 81(962), 734–740. https://doi.org/10.1136/pgmj.2004.028274

Spanakis, E. K., & Golden, S. H. (2019). Race/Ethnic Difference in Diabetes and Diabetic Complications. Current Diabetes Reports, 13(6), 814–823. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-013-0421-9

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Question