Hispanic-Americans This PowerPoint compares culture chooses a patient I interview. Please feel free write a report style bold headings, I research put a PowerPoint speaker slides. I add information interview I slides. I 5 days I complete interview.

Hispanic: Cultural health beliefs

Cultural group

"Currently, the nation's 53 million Hispanics comprise 17% of the total U.S. population" (Awakened giant, 2012, Pew Center). According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a Hispanic or Latino person is someone "of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race" (Hispanic or Latino populations, 2012, CDC). Hispanics are the fastest-growing U.S. ethnic demographic. "The U.S. Hispanic population for July 1, 2050 is estimated to reach 132.8 million, constituting approximately 30% of the U.S. population by that date" (Hispanic or Latino populations, 2012, CDC). Hispanics are also one of the youngest demographics so the population is likely to expand at a particularly rapid pace in the near future. Given this statistic, it is critical that the needs of the population are addressed in terms of the unique health concerns presented by Hispanics to the healthcare system. 30. 7% of all Hispanics did not have health insurance in 2010 (Hispanic or Latino populations, 2012, CDC).

Diabetes is particularly prevalent amongst Hispanics, along with conditions associated with diabetes and obesity such as heart disease. Mexican-Americans, by far the largest Hispanic population group in the U.S. (63%), have higher rates of diabetes and diabetes-related complications (Awakened giant, 2012, Pew Center). "Mexican-Americans are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician. They have higher rates of end-stage renal disease, caused by diabetes, and they are 50% more likely to die from diabetes as non-Hispanic whites" (Diabetes and Hispanic-Americans, 2012, Office of Minority Health). "Over 70% of Hispanics are Roman Catholic. General religious values include a fundamental belief that life is predetermined by God's will and a responsibility to the community"...

The strong religious and family orientation means there is great respect for elders, and extended families often live together for economic and cultural reasons. However, the higher rate of poverty amongst the Hispanic population means that there is often a focus on cheaper, high-calorie, high-carbohydrate foods in terms of meals, which can exacerbate a genetic tendency to develop diabetes.
Furthermore, many have noted a strong, fatalistic influence in Hispanic beliefs regarding health (Young 2001: 17). Rather than viewing one's self as 'the captain of my destiny' like many Americans, this can lead to assuming that illnesses are inevitable and are God's will, rather than something the individual can change or do something about. Coupled with concerns about the financial costs of treatment and a low rate of health insurance in the community, this can result in a lack of effective self-care as well as medical preventative care. A "financial burden clearly accounts for a large part of the health disparities found among Hispanic-American subpopulations…A lack of insurance and income results in the use of emergency rooms for urgent and non-urgent health care needs" (Young 2001: 17).

Health needs: Discussion

The low rate of health insurance and the high rate of chronic health conditions like diabetes are alarming. Expanding health insurance coverage, although important, is not enough. Hispanic-Americans are often victims of poverty, and the environmental conditions of poverty can give rise to a greater likelihood of having a lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables and places to exercise. "In the Seattle area, a region with an average obesity rate of about 20%, only about 4% of shoppers who filled their carts at Whole Foods Market stores were obese, compared with nearly 40% of shoppers at lower-priced Albertsons stores" (Bouie 2010).

Yet even this is not enough: people must also want to change their health behaviors and be sufficiently alarmed that something is indeed amiss. What was also…