African American Culture

African-American people from a qualitative perspective. The literature review will provide a brief background on African-American people and leading health problems they face along with a brief inclusion of census data to create a general picture of health from the perspective of an African-American person. One African-American man was interviewed. His answers provide a means of generating a construct that will be used to draw conclusions for nursing practice and standard of care development.

A website called: 'Dimensions of Culture', examines cultural patterns existent in many African-American communities. Those that recently immigrated from Africa show an even different culture compared to African-Americans that have lived in the United States for generations. One common cultural pattern experienced by African-Americans is the 'Black' Experience, which is diverse, representing a wide array of skin tones and backgrounds. The next is the social structure. The social structure often takes on a matriarchal tone although both mother and father can make decisions for the family (Dimensions of Culture, 2017). African-American women are also more college-educated than African-American men and may remain unmarried (Dimensions of Culture, 2017).

In general, there is a respect for elders amongst the African-American population and there may be a more traditional perspective regarding gender roles. Interracial dating and marriage may be frowned upon. Often elders take care of their grandchildren and avoidance of institutionalization for African-American elders is common. While not all African-American people live in disadvantaged neighborhoods, those that do are exposed to fast-food chains, high-priced food marts, and liquor stores (Dimensions of Culture, 2017). This can lead to a high prevalence of chronic illness and obesity.

Another source of understanding for African-American culture is a slideshare presentation. The presentation notes African-American culture has roots in Africa, namely West Africa. The mixture of people from African-American descent are typically Sahelian and sub-Saharan African cultures (Tameika, 2015). People within this segment of the population often value church and family with many being Baptist and other denominations of Christian. They experience extended kinship bonds with cousins, aunts, uncles, and most importantly, grandparents. Although most Blacks are Protestant Christian or Baptist, a growing, small number of African-Americans practice Santeria and Voodoo (Tameika, 2015). It is important to understand what common beliefs are upheld within the African-American population. Understanding their religious beliefs can lead to an overall better delivery of care.

A 2016 article on Dementia family care givers, shows not only that African-Americans are affected by dementia disproportionately, but that the family caregivers of Dementia patients experience major rates of physical and psychological symptoms. The results from the survey revealed the need for African-American family care givers to embark on higher levels of self-care and receive education on how to take care of their relatives with Dementia.

Analysis revealed 4 key themes: the tradition of family care, caregiving and caregiving issues, culturally appropriate care, and navigating without a map. Suggestions for an educational program included a focus on developing caregiver skills and knowledge for caregiving, promotion of self-care, and reflection on the AA family and community as resources for care (Samson, Parker, Dye, & Hepburn, 2016, p. 492).

The last article provides a close look on the perspective of the African-American experience and cultural competence with healthcare. The authors note the impact slavery has had on the African-American population and noted the cultural differences that influence healthcare attitudes and decisions regarding healthcare. For example, they noted religion's part in African-American interaction with health care. Some in the population use home remedies because they distrust the government and remain health illiterate. "The authors identify key influences, including the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow discrimination, the Tuskegee syphilis study, religion's interaction with health care, the use of home remedies, distrust, racial concordance and discordance, and health literacy" (Eiser & Ellis, 2007, p. 176). This article shows the need to enhance understanding of African-American culture to deliver better and higher standards of patient care.

African-American people in the United States account for 14.4% of the population at 46.3 million. The exact estimation is 46,282,080 (Black Demographics, 2015). This number accounts for those that identify as 'Black in combination with another race' and 'Black Only'. 13.3% of the American population is 'Black Only' making up 42.6 million African-Americans. In terms of largest urban Black populations, Chicago ranks third with cities in Texas showing increased growth within the last decade. Most Blacks vote, Democrat (69%) with the number of Blacks voting Republican at 1-3% versus 24% for Independent (Black Demographics, 2015).

The Black Demographics website also notes 14.2% of American Black persons are in poor/fair health with Black women experiencing high rates of obesity. Hypertension is a common problem for Black men and women over the age of 20 showing 44.4% and 41.4% occurrence respectively. Black persons under the age of 65 that do not have health insurance stands at 18.9%. The top causes of death in Black Americans from 1980 to 2007 was heart disease at #1, cancer, and stroke. Diabetes in 1980 was at #8 leading cause of death. As of 2007 I stands at #4 (Black Demographics, 2015).

The main form of data collection was qualitative, in the form of an interview. It was one interview with a 43-year-old African-American man. He was born from a South African father in Brooklyn, NY. He goes by the initials C.M and lives in Toms River as an electrician. The interview was a question and answer type of data collection where C.M had the chance to explore his cultural identity as well as give some information on his religious beliefs, socio-economic status, and experiences with professional healthcare.

The setting is the informant's home. The informant is C.M., a 43-year-old African-American male. The main method of data collection was an interview. He gave a face-to-face interview. The answers are qualitative in nature without any quantitative input (no use of Likert Scale).

C.M. has insurance through his job as an electrician. The insurance covers wellness exams and diagnostic tests for him and his wife. His children receive vaccinations and pediatric examinations. His wife is able to perform her annual breast exam and mammogram. Some of the health problems C.M. faces are hypertension, obesity, and high cholesterol. He stopped smoking and walks each evening with his wife around the neighborhood as ways to combat his obesity. Hs wife prepares for him wild salmon and green beans and they started consuming more fruit and vegetables.

In terms of caregiving, his sister takes care of his parents as culturally, he states elders are respected within the family. C.M. stated he is a member of the Church of God in Christ and his wife and children are Catholics. They attend weekly Catholic church mass. It seems like religion does not play a main role in the family, but does impact some of their activities.

African-American people struggle with various problems. Some of the problems are related to living in a disadvantaged setting brought on by previous institutionalized racism and effects of a post slavery world. African-Americans that live in disadvantaged neighborhoods are exposed to fast food, cheap liquor, and high food prices. This can lead to poor food choices and poor health outcomes. These health outcomes often lead to cancer, stroke, and heart disease, with diabetes cases increasing each year.

When it comes to caregiving, aspects of their culture like church and family are important to note along with their desire to take care of their families and the lack of self-care and knowledge on caregiving they possess. This population requires education in terms of nutrition, self-care, caregiving, and potential resources to help them deal with problems they experience in daily life. Offering help through establishing community in the church or in the neighborhood may help increase positive outcomes for the African-American population.