African-American Men and High Blood Pressure

African-American Men

Provide a brief overview of the health issue among your selected group, statistics about the scope of the problem, and its implications for health.

According to the centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010), "African-American men suffer disproportionately from high blood pressure, a known risk factor for heart disease and stroke," (p. 4). Incidents of high blood pressure and the gamut of hypertensive diseases is higher among African-American men than for men in other ethnic groups in the United States. Moreover, death rates due to complications with heart disease and cerebrovascular disease remain higher for African-American men than for white men (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Awareness of their condition and efforts to control high blood pressure are increasing among the African-American male population. However, promoting more comprehensive prevention and treatment programs that target the African-American community can still reduce cardiovascular complications and fatalities further.

For any public health campaign to be effective, it is important to understand the root causes of the issue and learn how to address it within the target community. High blood pressure incidences among African-American men can be traced to a number of different causal factors. Not all of them are genetic or biological, and some are psychosocial in nature. For example, high rates of cardiovascular illness in African-America males have been empirically linked to perceived racism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). Socio-economic status, and in particular the strain from financial insecurity, is also linked with high blood pressure among African-American men. The correlation between low socioeconomic status and hypertension is stronger among African-Americans than it is for Caucasians. Financial strain also makes it less likely that health services will be sought. Other concerns related to access to healthcare for cardiovascular disease include a mistrust of the healthcare system in general and a "lack of cultural competence among health care providers," (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).

2. Describe the Cultural Identity of the group you chose. Specifically address how each of the PEN-3 model three factors of Cultural Identity applies to your group. Be sure to provide examples.

The three factors of cultural identity according to the PEN-3 model include person, extended family, and neighborhood. Originally developed to be used as a framework for health education and disease prevention in African countries, the PEN-3 model is applicable to general health education (Campbell, 1995). The three components of cultural identity are also the three factors related to health education in general: person, extended family, and neighborhood. Person refers to the fact that "individuals should be empowered to make informed decisions which are appropriate to their roles in their families and communities," (Campbell, 1995). Extended family members should be included as social, spiritual, and psychological extensions of the individual. Finally, "health education should be committed to promoting health and preventing disease in neighborhoods and communities," (Campbell, 1995).

The three factors related to cultural identity and health education apply to African-American men and can be used to develop comprehensive public health campaigns for the target population. The focus on the individual requires an attitude of empowerment. African-American men need to start trusting the healthcare system, so that visiting doctors, receiving checkups, and heeding the advice of physicians becomes second nature. None of this is possible within the current healthcare framework that is disrespectful of individual liberties, ignorant of cultural nuances, and disrespectful of the complex factors that impact personal health.