Ethnic identification, in contrast to racial identity, which emphasizes physical appearance, incorporates shared ideas and cultural traditions based on a group’s common ancestry regarding language, history, religion, and geography. Latinos and Hispanics make up 18% of the U.S. population, making them the largest minority group (Alvidrez et al., 2019). They account for 18.4 percent of the total population in the United States. Many Latinos’ heritage can be found in multiple countries across South and Central America. 2019: Mexicans comprised a substantial portion of the Hispanic population, accounting for 61.4%. Large Hispanic populations are also found in New York, Arizona, and New Jersey; California, Florida, and Georgia populations are far larger. The Census Bureau projects that in 2020, the life expectancy of Latino and Hispanic Americans will be 82.1% for Hispanic men and 84.2% for Hispanic women. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in 2018 (Alvidrez et al., 2019), major health concerns for this group include HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis C, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Obesity, asthma, COPD, liver disease, and mental health issues are all major issues affecting Hispanics, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lack of access to dental care, smoking, and alcoholism are issues that disproportionately affect Hispanics.
According to the CDC, health inequalities are “preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health experienced by disadvantaged populations” (Ortiz, 2020). The Hispanic community has lower health and longevity rates and less access to high-quality medical treatment due to social, economic, and environmental factors. Lack of access to health insurance is typically associated with socioeconomic factors such as poverty and language barriers that prevent people from finding gainful employment. Due to low finances, Hispanics lack the requisite education to qualify for high-paying employment that simultaneously provides health insurance. Many people would rather provide for their families financially than seek medical help for ongoing health issues. One aspect of Latino health is the lack of access to health insurance. Failure to attend scheduled medical care could result in a serious medical emergency (Tran, 2019). When a disease reaches that point, no more treatment options exist. Substance abuse is rampant among Latinos, and many Latinos also engage in risky behaviours, including heavy drinking and tobacco use. They mix fast food with culturally relevant dishes. Rice, corn tortillas, and nachos are the staples of traditional Hispanic cuisine. They consume vast quantities of processed meats and beverages, including chicken, beef, and hog
The federal government has acknowledged health problems in some communities, and steps have been taken to address them. The Office of Minority Health (OMH) attributes these health disparities in part to a lack of access to preventative care, insurance, language barriers, and economic hardship.
Risk assessment requires examining the individual’s social, economic, physical, and environmental circumstances (Cabral & Cuevas, 2020). The patient’s cultural and religious background substantially impacts their health. Having a sense of safety is a must in today’s world. Care for other health issues can begin once housing and food security issues are resolved. Programmes to combat these inequalities have been developed through a concerted effort between multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Centre on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD), the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), and others (Cabral & Cuevas, 2020). Because of this, the well-known programme came into being. Goals for improving the health of all Americans, especially those at the bottom of the economic ladder, have been defined by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP).
Nurses can greatly benefit from the experience of caring for patients from different cultural backgrounds. The nurse can best help this population by taking on a teaching role, stressing the significance of excellent nutrition, and encouraging patients to make healthy food selections (Edelman & Kudzma, 2021). In assessing the nutritional status of individuals or families, one must consider food culture and cultural sensitivity. Food choices, cooking techniques, taboos, special occasions, and holiday feasts could all be discussed in the classroom. One of the most common health issues among Hispanics is obesity, which can cause Type 2 diabetes (Edelman & Kudzma, 2021). The cornerstone of health promotion is avoiding illness in the first place. Nurses spend much time talking about diet and explaining the various carbohydrate sources.
Reducing your intake of sugar and processed carbohydrates can aid in weight loss. Encourage nurses to switch to brown rice instead of white, drink water rather than soda, and increase their intake of fruits and vegetables. The nurse should take into account the patient’s primary conditions and the nurse’s food preferences while offering nutritional advice. Early diabetes detection is a complementary strategy for disease prevention. The nurse recommends regular visits to the podiatrist and ophthalmologist, daily workouts, a strict diet, and maintaining glucose levels (80–120 mg/dL) with insulin. Not smoking, keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol in check, and protecting yourself from cuts and scrapes are all examples of secondary preventative measures. In tertiary prevention, the nurse’s role is to inform the patient about the disease, its potential outcomes, and the impact of uncontrolled disease on the patient’s other body systems.
Family and religion are very important aspects of Hispanic culture that influence attitudes towards health. They are predominantly devout Catholics who place a premium on close-knit families. The use of spiritual talismans and prayers increases significantly during illness or death. Folk healers are also sought for; they may employ rituals and medicinal herbs in their practice of medicine. Consultation with elders is a common practise in the Hispanic community before making major decisions (Sharma, 2021). Madeleine Leininger’s theory of cultural care emphasises the importance of nurses considering their patient’s social and economic contexts when providing care. It is essential to consider a patient’s cultural background while developing an individualised treatment plan. The factors mentioned above that can affect a patient’s health are often collectively referred to as the “cultural care worldview” (Sharma, 2021). Considering the cultural influence of the nurse’s actions and care, the Sunrise model places the patient’s health and well-being above all else. Different types of medical treatment, such as conventional medicine, cutting-edge nursing, and complementary and alternative medicine, are represented in the model.
References
Alvidrez, J., Castille, D., Laude-Sharp, M., Rosario, A., & Tabor, D. (2019). The national institute on minority health and health disparities research framework. American journal of public health, 109(S1), S16-S20.
Cabral, J., & Cuevas, A. G. (2020). Health inequities among Latinos/Hispanics: Documentation status as a determinant of health. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 7, 874-879.
Edelman, C., & Kudzma, E. C. (2021). Health promotion throughout the life span-e-book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Ortiz, F. A. (2020). Self-actualization in the Latino/Hispanic culture. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 60(3), 418–435.
Sharma, M. (2021). Theoretical foundations of health education and health promotion. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Tran, J. (2019). Reducing health disparities among Latino/Hispanic populations in the U.S.
write