PHHE 295. Chapter 10. Community Health and Minorities

PHHE 295

Chapter 10: Community Health and Minorities

Chapter Objectives

1)      Explain the concept of diversity as it describes the American people.

2)      Explain the impact of a more diverse population in the United States as it relates to community health efforts.

3)      Explain the importance of the 1985 landmark report The Secretary’s Task Force Report on Black  and Minority Health.

4)      List the racial and ethnic categories currently used by the U.S. government in statistical activities and program administration reporting.

5)      List some limitations related to collecting racial and ethnic health data.

6)      Identify some of the sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics of minority groups in the United States.

7)      List some of the beliefs and values of minority groups in the United States.

8)      List and describe the six priority areas of the Race and Health Initiative.

9)      Explain the role socioeconomic status plays in health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.

10)  Define cultural sensitivity and cultural and linguistic competence and the importance of each related to minority community health.

11)  Identify the three kinds of power associated with empowerment and explain the importance of each related to minority community health.

Key Terms

·         Majority: Those with characteristics that are found in more than 50% of a population.

·         Minority Groups: Subgroups of the population that consists of fewer than 50% of the population.

·         Minority Health: Refers to the morbidity and mortality of American Indians/Alaska Natives, Americans of Hispanic origin, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and black Americans in the United States.

·         Operationalize: Provide working definitions.

·         Acculturated: Cultural modification of an individual or group by adopting to or borrowing traits from another culture.

·         Refugee: A person who flees one area or country to seek shelter or protection from danger in another.

·         Immigrant: Individuals who migrate from one country to another for the purpose of seeking permanent residence.

·         Alien: A person born in a owing allegiance to a country other than the one in which he/she lives.

·         Illegal Alien: An individual who entered this country without permission.

·         Socioeconomic Status: Relating to a combination of social and economic factors.

·         Cultural and Linguistic Competence: A set of congruient behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals, that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations.

Chapter Summary

·         One of the great strengths of the United States has been, and remains, the diversity of its people.

·         The federal government has recently categorized the U.S. population into five racial groups and two ethnic groups.

·         The reporting of accurate and complete race and ethnicity data provides essential information to target and evaluate public health inventions aimed at minority populations.

·         All cultural and ethnic groups hold concepts related to health and illness and associated practices for maintaining well-being or providing treatment when it is indicated.

·         The Race and Health Initiative includes six priority areas:

o   1) Infant Mortality

o   2) Cancer Screening and Management

o   3) Cardiovascular Disease

o   4) Diabetes

o   5) HIV/AIDS

o   6) Adult and Child Immunizations

These key areas are representative of the larger minority health picture and account for a substantial burden of disease that is highly modifiable if the appropriate interventions are applied.

·         Socioeconomic status has been considered the most influential single contributor to a premature morbidity and mortality by many public health researchers. Research in the last couple of decades indicates that the relationship between SES and health occurs at every socioeconomic level and for a broad range of SES indicators. This relationship between SES and health can be described as a gradient.

·         Significant strides in the improvement of health in minority groups can be achieved if community health professionals become more culturally sensitive and competent.

·         Minority groups must be empowered to solve their own problems through the processes of social, political, and psychological empowerment.