Introduction
Minority issue is a critical factor in global health. It is the health of resource ownership and social equality of the global conflicts. Individual who falls under the minority group lacks the power to speak for themselves; in most cases, they are deprived of rights by the influential group in their country of residence. In the US, most minority ethnic groups experience poor health because of health inequality. A considerable gap exists between the two groups regarding the level and quality of health they receive. The minority ethnic group is associated with poverty, social injustices, and low incomes. For many years disparities have been a significant concern in the healthcare system. The study shows that health promotion is an easy way to reduce health disparities. This paper discusses the health promotion of native Hawaiian in The US.
The Native Hawaiian Health Status
Native Hawaiian is a racial group of people with origin from countries like Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, and other islands in the Pacific. According to the recent census in the US, there are about 1.4 million native Americans in the country. They represent 0.4% of the US population. The states with the high number of native Hawaiian are California, Texas, Utah, Florida, Hawaii, Oregon, New York, and Arizona.
The native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) suffer from multiple health outcomes. The NHOPI experienced a disproportional chronic illness burden and difficulties in accessing and utilizing healthcare. NHOPI is a minority group that experiences adverse health disparities, evident by the high mortality rate and low life expectancy. Additionally, several individuals are homeless with poor means of transportation. It was difficult for a population with a high rate of homeless, some living in a car, to stay healthy. The inadequate housing, education, and health care services raise the inequalities gap.
The life expectancies of the Native Hawaiian living in the US are 80.8 years; women 83.2 and men 78.5 years. Compared to other ethnic groups, the group has a higher rate of smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, and cases of obesity. They have less access to prevention and health control programs, increasing the death rate and health-related issues. Other causes of death among native Hawaiians are cancer, heart disease, accidents, stroke, and high blood pressure. HIV/Aids, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis are other health risks common among individuals in the ethnic group. Diabetes is the primary cause of death in the population of the group. According to the health data, individuals in this group are 2.5 times more likely to obtain a diabetes diagnosis than the white population. Additionally, Hawaiian have higher cases of uncontrolled diabetes of 39%; it is a devastating state and is far behind the expected health goals (Kaholokula et al.,2021).
The recent statics reveals worrying data about the Native Hawaiian illuminate health disparities. For instance, the rate of tuberculosis compared to the influential group in the US. Additionally, the group has twice the infant mortality rate and a higher rate of obesity. Sexually transmitted diseases are also reported among the group of Hawaiians. In the year 2018, the gonorrhea cases in the group were about 181.4 cases per 100000 individuals. The disparities are higher in males compared to females, especially for individuals living in the Midwest.
Food insecurity is another issue that an individual experiences in the NHOPI. Low food security is part of the community. It is most individuals suffer from diet-related illnesses. There needs to be better nutritional intake among older children and adolescents. About 24% of high school students, while 16% of middle school have difficulties in having breakfast meals. Individuals benefit from programs like WIC that supply supplemental food and nutritional education to women and the entire community on diet-related issues.
Barriers to Health Status
Most individuals in the NHOPI group have difficulties accessing quality health services. There are multiple factors for the outcome. Culture is a significant issue; the group exhibits beliefs that hinder them from getting quality health services in the facilities. The inappropriate traditional practice negatively impacts the individual’s health (Kaholokula et al.,2022).
Secondly, the majority of the individual in the group is underpowered. The statistics show that a higher population lives in areas with inadequate sustainable health systems. Police officers and other government officials also discriminate against them. Discrimination is an issue that affects the emotional state of the individual. It causes stress, contributing to issues like hypertension and other cardiometabolic actual illness in the body systems. The unemployment rate is also the cause of health barriers among the NHOPI. There is a high unemployment rate among civilians compared to other minority groups.
Health Promotion in NHOPI
Dancing is a popular health promotion activity among the NHOPI. According to health experts, dancing is an enjoyable way to obtain a physically fit body. It has multiple advantages, both mental and physical. Dancing benefits include; increasing physical confidence, it helps improve the condition of the heart and lungs, and increasing muscular strength to enhance mental functioning. The NHOPI practices the Hula dance, which is part of their cultural rituals and important celebrations (Kaholokula et al.,2022).
Health Promotion Activities
Healthy nutrition and physical activities are critical factors that will help NHOPI improve its health. A healthy diet is a fundamental factor that enhances the diabetes health of individuals despite their age. On the primary promotion level, it is vital to have individualized community-based programs like encouraging traditional land cultivating for fresh fish and various vegetables. It increases access to food within the community and is a source of employment. The availability of fresh foods is an opportunity to consume healthy food that elevates health. Secondary prevention encourages physical activities like dances to decrease overweight and calories. Tertiary prevention targets older individuals with existing chronic issues to integrate clinical approaches to health promotion to reduce the intensity of the sickness to help them usually live (Fernandez-Jimenez et al.,2019).
A successful care plan for the NHOPI should be comprehensive. The healthcare provider should use a community-based approach to invite individuals to the programs. The providers should integrate standard cultural practices like the Hula dance to attract because they feel entitled and valued.
Conclusion
Health promotion is an effective way to reduce health disparities. It encourages individuals to have control of their own lives. It presents the opportunity to practice a nutritional diet with physical activities to reduce chronic illness. The public health department should be empowered initiate programs that support health promotion.
References
Fernandez-Jimenez, R., Jaslow, R., Bansilal, S., Santana, M., Diaz-Munoz, R., Latina, J., … & Fuster, V. (2019). Child health promotion in underserved communities: the FAMILIA trial. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 73(16), 2011-2021.
Kaholokula, J. K. A., AuYoung, M., Chau, M., Sambamoorthi, U., Carson, S., Thao, C., … & Ma, G. X. (2022). Unified in Our Diversity to Address Health Disparities Among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Health Equity, 6(1), 540–545.
Kaholokula, J. K. A., Look, M., Mabellos, T., Ahn, H. J., Choi, S. Y., Sinclair, K. I. A., … & de Silva, M. (2021). A cultural dance program improves hypertension control and cardiovascular disease risk in Native Hawaiians: A randomized controlled trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 55(10), 1006–1018.
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