Drug overdose mortality is among the most significant public healthcare issues in the world. WHO estimates that over 0.6 million mortalities are inherent to drug overdoses (Friedman and Shover, 2023). Further, evidence suggests that over 80% of the overdose-related deaths are linked to opioids, and 25% of them are tied to opioid overdose. Estimates also illustrate that the effects of drug overdose-related deaths are more adverse on minorities and populations with issues of access to healthcare and associated drug use-related education. A close examination of the African American population in the US shows that this is among the most disproportionately affected demographics. CDC statistics indicate the issue of widening gaps in healthcare access with trajectories of up to 44% increase in overdose mortalities. Various issues like higher income and health disparities among African Americans relate to the established increase in rates of overdose mortalities. In this case, practical executions like comprehensive, evidence-based, and culturally adherent actions help prevent and avert drug overdose-related mortalities. Also, the African American population has the highest overdose deaths at 39 per 100,000 people (D’Orsogna et al., 2023). Because of the urgency of drug overdose mortalities among African Americans, it is necessary to carefully evaluate how this issue affects the target population through the prevalent statistics, preventive measures, and particular preventive actions.
Relate Topic to Target Population
As outlined, the urgency of practical and culturally competent executions against drug overdose mortalities among African Americans is a critical social health issue. Han et al. (2022) note that the recent trends and existing barriers to access health access further underscore the need for targeted promotion efforts to create awareness and offer substantive progressive solutions. According to the CDC, African Americans have urgent healthcare disparity issues like a high prevalence of preventable diseases like diabetes and heart disease. The 30% higher likelihood of mortality from heart disease, for instance, underscores the need for structured and carefully articulated efforts to address the underlying healthcare disparities (Harris, 2023). Also, the need to address the overdose-related mortality in this population is tied to the Healthy People initiative to reduce the existing healthcare disparities in different populations. Therefore, it would be necessary to practically incorporate all the principles of health promotion, like intervention effectiveness, to optimally meet their underlying overdose mortality-related issues.
Summary of Articles
Various scholars have been involved in the accurate documentation of overdose-related mortalities in the world and, in extension, the African American population. For instance, Harris (2023) estimates that overdose estimates among African American males are expected to rise by 11% by 2025. The projections also establish that despite the increase in the expected rates, the death rates are likely to shift across different ages. Harris further states the need to direct resources and treatment services to meet this population’s needs optimally.
On the other hand, D’Orsogna et al. (2023) examine the racial, gender, and geographical influences associated with fentanyl use in the US. The article discusses how prevention and harm reduction strategies can be tailored to meet the needs of the most impacted groups based on gender, race, and geography. Within the study, it is established that Black males have a 38% higher fentanyl mortality rate compared to other races. The information can be utilized to steer culturally specific education and outreach efforts to curb overdoses. Additionally, the article by Han et al. (2022) studies the associated racial and ethnic disparities related to overdose mortalities. The research established that overdose mortality increased disproportionately during the COVID-19 period. Han et al. document that the highest mortality rates were recorded on American Indian/Alaska Native men aged 15-34 years and Black and American Indian/Alaska Native men aged 35-64. The article further calls for advancing culturally tailored prevention, treatment, and harm reduction interventions to disproportionately impacted populations. Like the other articles, Han et al.’s information, analysis, and calls for targeted interventions can be used to guide targeted outreach for social health engagements of drug overdose mortalities.
Health Promotion Discussion
Educating the African American community on the proper approaches to the prevention of overdose-related mortalities requires population-tailored incentives in care and access to care. First, it would be important to implement culturally appropriate health promotion inputs to meet the demographic’s subject drug overdose issues optimally (D’Orsogna et al., 2023). The first incentive will be to collaborate with the local healthcare and community resources, leaders, and subject organizations to optimally meet the intricate educational requirements for drug overdose mortality campaigns. Also, targeted healthcare resources and connections marketing will be achieved through culturally relevant inputs such as music and art.
Additionally, adhering to the evidence-based provisions of health promotions in such campaigns would be necessary. Harris (2023) argues for the need to identify specific ways to disseminate information on proper medication access, use, and disposal. Other health promotion strategies, like drives to increase access to healthcare resources like insurance, would ultimately encourage increased utilization of available services. Consequently, it will be possible to reduce the likelihood of overdose-linked mortalities among African Americans.
In conclusion, the African American demographic is disproportionately affected by drug overdose mortalities. Thus, as analyzed, it is necessary to tailor population-specific executions to meet the required evidence-based thresholds for progressive preventive measures optimally. Also, population health executions for overdose mortality prevention must be adjusted to attend to the culturally inherent education, language, income, and knowledge realities.
References
D’Orsogna, M. R., Böttcher, L., & Chou, T. (2023). Fentanyl-driven acceleration of racial, gender, and geographical disparities in drug overdose deaths in the United States. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(3), e0000769. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000769
Friedman, J., & Shover, C. L. (2023). Charting the fourth wave: Geographic, temporal, race/ethnicity and demographic trends in polysubstance fentanyl overdose deaths in the United States, 2010–2021. Addiction, 118(12), 2477-2485.
Han, B., Einstein, E. B., Jones, C. M., Cotto, J., Compton, W. M., & Volkow, N. D. (2022). Racial and ethnic disparities in drug overdose deaths in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 5(9), e2232314. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.32314
Harris, R. A. (2023). Drug Overdose Deaths among Non-Hispanic Black Men in the U.S.: Age-Specific Projections through 2025. AJPM Focus, 2(1), 100063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2022.100063
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