...The cultural demographic groups that are most impacting the low literacy levels in healthcare are those individuals that are of Hispanic or Latin origin. This selective patient population consists of individuals that are from Mexico, South and Central America, Cuba and Puerto Rico. Therefore, these cultural characteristics are represented by their language, customs, and elements from their common ancestry (Caballerro, 2011). Moreover, many of these individuals stem from low-income families where adequate educational resources are often scarce and insufficient. This deficiency regarding receiving a proper education is reflected in the overall low literacy levels, as well as the excessively poor degree of health literacy that exists. Furthermore, the condition of poor health literacy not only affects the individuals domestic health status and their hospitalization experience, it creates and places an economic burden on select communities, as well as future...
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...Health Disparity Among African-Americans Melissa Swanson Grand Canyon University Family Centered Health Promotion NRS-429V-0506 Sandi Coufal February 8, 2015 Heath Disparity among African-Americans The United States is a melting pot of cultural diversity. For a country that was founded by individuals fleeing persecution, it has taken us many years to grant African-Americans equal rights, and even longer for those rights to be recognized. Despite all the effort to eliminate inequality in this country, health disparity among this minority group remains a significant issue. Research in this area has pointed to several key reasons for this gap that center on differences in culture, socioeconomics, and lack of health literacy. The CDC Health Disparities & Inequalities Report of 2011 shows the average American’s life expectancy at 78.8 years, while the average African-American should expect to live only 75.3 years. The statistics gathered by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) are striking in painting the health status of African-Americans in this country. African-American infants have a mortality rate twice that of Caucasian infants. The CDC recognized that African-Americans lead the nation in death rates from heart disease and stroke, as compared to any other ethnicity. The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health presented data in 2012 showing that African-American adults have a 40% higher rate of hypertension and a 10% less...
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...HEALTH LITERACY, PERCEIVED MEDICATION BENEFITS, MEDICATION ADHERENCE AND HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AND MEDICATION ADHERENCE AMONG PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES ATTENDING PRIMARY CARE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES OF IKENNE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, NIGERIA INTRODUCTION Background and Scope of the Study The main aim of any attempted remediation of a health problem of patients in a health system is to achieve certain desired health outcomes in the patient. These desired outcomes however might not be realizable if the patients are not strictly following prescribed treatment even when the health care professionals have performed their part effectively. The synergy of the relationship between low literacy, patient decision - making, and compliance with prescribed medication use makes it quite difficult to achieve the desired outcomes in medical therapy (Nutbeam, 2008, Atulomah et al, 2010) of overall increase in health status. Health literacy is defined as the capacity of individuals to obtain, interpret and understand basic health information and services, as well as the competence and motivation to use such information and services in ways that enhance their health (Institute of Medicine, 2004) Several studies have been have been conducted to evaluate peoples level of literacy and adherence to medication. Health literacy rates in developed countries have been conducted in the United States (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Australia, and Canada to evaluate the rate of health literacy...
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...average population growth rate of 1.41%, this is a clear indication that this population will increase more with time. When looking at the age structure, people who are 15-64 years old make up 65% of India's population and only 30% being under 15 years of age. This clearly indicates that India is composed of a rather young population. As per the 2011 census, literacy levels stand at around 74.04% and this is a significant progress from the 14.5% rate at the time of India’s independence in 1947, though the census still reveals that the adult literacy rate in India was more than 11% lower than the average World Adult Literacy Rate of 84% (Census of India, 2011c, p.101). Despite major reforms and programs intended to develop the education system, India is still struggling with low rates of illiteracy, especially in the country’s rural parts. Different states have been experiencing different rates of increase in literacy levels, although with very high disparities caused by the different classes of the Indian society. For instance, Kerala and Mizoram states are above the national average at 82.14%, while others like Bihar have a literacy level of about 65.46%...
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...Segregation and Discrimination During the time of 1880-1920 there were many issues with racism for African-Americans who lived in the United States. Some of these issues raised many different events to occur. Events such as the Jim Crow Laws, or the Separate but Equal Laws, the Plessy vs. Ferguson trial, poll taxes, literacy tests, and the Grandfather Clauses. These events impacted the United States’ history in different ways, but they mostly impacted one thing: racism. The Jim Crow Laws legalized segregation in the United States in the 1800’s and 1900’s. This in turn made it legal to discriminate against African Americans in this time period. These laws showed just how much of an alteration there was between African Americans and the white man. For instance, there was a major difference in education, welfare, and health at these times. The Jim Crow Laws also deprived the black man of their right to vote. Some peopled have come to call the Jim Crows Laws the Separate but Equal Laws for their discrimination against the black man....
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...Poverty in India Absolute poverty or destitution is the term used to describe deprivation of basic human needs i.e. food, water, sanitation, clothing, shelter, health care and education. While relative poverty refers to economic inequality in a particular location or society in which people live (The Economist, 2010). India has 1/3rd of World’s poorest population according to World Bank and it has been facing significantly high levels of poverty with most people living in agrarian and rural communities where 77%of poor Indians live. India is amongst the globally largest countries and thus poverty has a considerable pressure and weight on the country; about three-quarters of India’s population reside in rural areas and suffer higher levels of poverty regardless of efforts and policies being implemented from the past four decades (Prato & Longo, 2012). The rates of poverty in the country are affected by issues such as presence of factors, population density, ecological conditions and irrigation facilities etc. While there are other factors too that influence the level of poverty in rural areas of India i.e. caste, land ownership, literacy and gender (Yusuf, 2014). Impacts of Openness and Literacy rate on poverty in India Degree of openness refers to an economic metric, calculated as the ratio of country's total trade, the sum of exports plus imports, to the country's gross domestic product. The interpretation of the Openness Index is the higher the index the larger...
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...decision-making and helps the parent take charge of their child’s health. (CITE). Communication breakdown, which includes low health literacy, often occurs during office visits and can lead to the parent’s inability to manage their child’s health care (cite). Problem Statement Poor communication and low health literacy have been shown to cause decreased health maintenance, an increase in hospitalization, and infrequent use of preventative services (Nouri & Rudd, 2015). Communication is defined...
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...Unavailable Healthcare Student’s Name: University Affiliation Unavailable Healthcare Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2002). Health care costs: Fact sheet. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved on March 12, 2013, from http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/factsheets/costs/health-care/index.html The United States department of health and human services has an agency that is dedicated to conducting studies on the cost of healthcare to inform lawmakers and citizens alike. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has done extensive studies on particular ways to target the increasing cost of medical care. This is in recognition of the cost as a barrier to the availability of healthcare to the poor. Ayanian, J.Z. & Van der Wees, P.J. (2012). Tackling rising health care costs in Massachusetts. The New England Journal of Medicine, 367, 790-793. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1208710. Massachusetts is an example of a state on how to enact healthcare reform. Ayanian and Van der Wees (2012) investigate how Massachusetts has handled the rising cost of healthcare. In 2010, the state attorney general found that there was a great variation in the price of medical care throughout the state (Ayanian & Van der Wees, 2012). The state passed a law whose aim was to control medical care costs; Brill, S. (2013, February 20). Bitter pill: Why medical bills are killing us. Time. Retrieved Sept 5...
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...benefits of the Revolution, to teach more of the population how to read so they could improve their own lives and help improve the agricultural and industrial sectors, and to lay the foundation for a permanent program of continued adult education. Opponents, however, argue that the drive for literacy was only a cover for building support for the Sandinistas and their policies, and that the literacy text gives a picture of a distorted Sandinista revolution rather than a complete Nicaraguan revolution. Opposition to the content of the literacy materials came from a variety of groups, including the bourgeoisie, the indigenous Miskito population and English-speaking populations of the Atlantic Coast region, who were politically and commercially oriented toward England and the United States, and conservative rural populations who, as Christians, thought the political content of the Sandinista revolution was too closely...
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...to the studied populations. Furthermore, the credibility and relevance of the study is equally important in the decision to trust its application in current best practice issues. This study states trust and depression are issues that cause difficulties with glycemic control. The purpose of this paper is to critique the quantitative study and offer a critical synopsis of the research presented. PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes) is a type of model used to aid in framing questions for the research study. It helps to define questions that will support the specific population being studied and aids the reviewers in finding relevant information and evidence within the literature (Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois [UIC], 2012). The population studied was uninsured patients with diabetes. In considering the intervention and comparison, the goal of the study was to link health literacy and patient trust factors as predictors of glycemic control. Other factors that were considered were: socioeconomic status, diabetic knowledge, self-care activities, and depression (Mancuso, 2010). The outcome of the study suggests that trust and depression in the patient population was a factor in glycemic control; however, patient’s ability to understand their health, their...
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...Divide INF 103 Computer Literacy Sean O’Leary, DM, MBA 4/21/14 The digital divide is a phrase used to address the gap between those who have ready access to the information and communication technologies, the knowledge that they provide access to, and those who do not. In the global digital information age those who are either unable to access the internet are increased disadvantage in their access to information. In most western nations government policies are being established which attempt to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to access and effectively use the internet, in order to enable them to participate fully in the educational, social and economic activities. While it can be argued that several factors contribute to the digital divide, economics appears to be the biggest contributing factors for access to the Digital Opportunity Index. The Introduction to Digital Literacy, explains the digital divide as related to threat that results from groups of underprivileged people not having access to computers and the internet. According to Bowles, 2013, the fact that some people have easy access to the benefits computers provide; while many others are cut off from them, is considered an ethical issue. The information rich are on one side, and those who are poor, living in underdeveloped countries, or who live in a rural area with no internet access on the other side. The number of homes in the United States with personal computers has...
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...1 An Analysis of African American Culture in the Health and Human Services Setting Introduction Communication has often been defined by scholar as the process by which people send messages and generate meanings across various contexts, cultures, and media. The process of communicating does not stop; it occurs cycle after cycle. Whether through verbal or non-verbal messages, the transaction takes place and is inevitable, named by scholars as The Principle of Communication Inevitability. Recognizing that communication will exist, whether intentional or not, it is important to understand the various areas of our life where communication may be vital to the success of the structure. One important area is focused on human welfare—medical, physical, emotionally, mentally, and financially—of children and adults. The method in which health and human service workers communicate with the people whom they serve is one that must be studied, implemented, and constantly improved. Health and human service workers are focused on the quality of life for an individual. They are not present to meet the wants out of life. The ultimate focus is rendering services that are conducive to one’s ability to live. Whether communicating good or bad news, professionals, patients, and clients have mutual responsibility for effective sending and receiving messages. People belong to certain demographics that shape who they are, how they feel, how they learn, their exposure to certain aspects of life...
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...Associations Among Health Literacy and Outcomes in Pregnancy: A Systematic Literature Review Pregnancy and childbirth is often a woman’s first adult encounter with the health care system (Ferguson, 2008). Pregnant women need to have the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude to best interact with the complex health care system. Outcomes such as low birth weight, premature delivery and breastfeeding rates have significant influence on a child’s health as well as increased cost to the system. The medical cost of a preterm birth is approximately three times more than a term birth. In 2005, the estimated cost associated with preterm birth was $26.2 billion when accounting for medical, educational and lost productivity costs (Institute of Medicine,...
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...Developed and developing Australia, along with countries such as the United States, France and Japan, is a developed country. This means that the country provides satisfactory living conditions and opportunities for the majority of its people to enjoy high levels of education, health and health care. Developing countries, such as Malawi, Indonesia and India, do not currently provide these benefits for most of their people. Measuring development Wealth is one of the most obvious differences between countries. Some, such as the United States, have great wealth; others such as Malawi, are very poor. One measure of a country's wealth is its gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Australia produced $33 035 of goods and services in 2006 for every person in the country. In contrast, Malawi had a GDP per capita of $703. Wealth is not the only measure of a country's level of development. The Human Development Index (HDI), devised by the United Nations, attempts to give an indication of living standards beyond simple economic factors. It is calculated by using four measures of development: life expectancy at birth, adult literacy rates, education standards and GDP per capita. The HDI is used by the UN, governments and non-government organisations (NGOs) such as World Vision and CARE, to target their efforts to help people most in need. Human Development Index of selected countries, 2007 | Country | Human Development Index | Australia | 0.962 | Brazil | 0.800 | China |...
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...ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISPARITY IN HEALTHCARE IN AMERICA Disparity in US Health Care is multifactorial, they reflect the differences in demographics, social-economic as well as environmental factors. The Journal of the American Medical Association identifies race as a significant determinant in the level of quality of care, with ethnic minority groups receiving less intensive and lower quality care. Ethnic minorities receive less preventative care, are seen less by specialists, and have fewer expensive and technical procedures than non-ethnic minorities. Studies have shown that this disparity affects the biological vulnerability to disease, utilization of health system in US and health care interventions. Understanding and intervening in the health disparity in the US is imperative because the US population is changing. According to the American Health Association (AHA), by 2050 Minority groups will compose almost half of the U.S. population by 2050. The biggest increase will occur within the Hispanic population. In December 2007, the American Hospital Association (AHA) created the Special Advisor Group on Improving Hospital Care for Minorities as part of effort to ensure equitable treatment of all patients. This article will discuss the issues related to disparity and how the American Hospital Association is taken several steps in helping aid in eliminating the racial disparity in health care. Health disparities in the quality of care exist and are based on language and...
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