Poor literacy skills and diabetes have two things in common: They are reaching epidemic levels in the U.S. and they affect minority populations disproportionately. Put diabetes and low literacy together and the result is a recipe for disaster.
The results of a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published earlier this year reveal that there may finally be some light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to reducing at least one key minority health disparity: higher rates of pneumonia and meningitis in African-American children than in their Caucasian counterparts.
Hypertension is a serious health problem affecting African Americans more frequently than other ethnic groups. Here, one nurse observes the reasoning behind patients' antihypertensive medication noncompliance and how to properly educate them.
With new laws and health initiatives in place, the Office of Minority Health, led by J. Nadine Gracia, is ready to take health disparities down for good
Kuleana. This melodic Hawaiian word refers to a personal yet shared responsibility toward family and society. It's a philosophy that guides Jamie Kamailani Boyd, Ph.D., A.P.R.N., and her work, including the Pathway out of Poverty program she started in 2007.
Minority Americans pay a staggering price for disparities in diabetes care. There are as many reasons for these disparities as there are effects stemming from unequal treatment. Here, one researcher discusses the issue, including pertinent economic data, policy issues, the ethical issues at stake—and the relevance to the nursing profession.
Community and public health nursing draws upon the very foundations of the profession: promoting preventive health care and serving the underserved. With the passage of health care reform, community clinics have seen increases across the board—including a growing need for nurses. Here we explore what working in one of these facilities is like and why they are so crucial to improving health care services and access for all.
C. Alicia Georges, RN, EdD, FAAN, president of the National Black Nurses Foundation, reported that lack of health literacy has been identified as “a significant barrier to closing the disparity gap between ethnic people of color and the general population.”
Because minority populations in the United States continue to endure health disparities compared to Caucasians—such as higher risks of high blood pressure, diabetes and certain forms of cancer—two agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are offering significant financial support to help close this gap.
The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a federally funded program sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently created Small Steps, Big Rewards, billed as the first-ever national multicultural diabetes prevention campaign designed specifically to reach diverse populations that have the highest risk of developing the disease.
Last issue, Minority Nurse addressed infant mortality in minority communities, discussing some of the disparities, research, and solutions surrounding the issue. This piece was submitted as a supplement to "A Quiet Crisis: Racial Disparities and Infant Mortality"
In Fall 2009, we published "Preventing Premature Birth Disparities," an article examining the growing crisis of high preterm birth rates in women of color...
Are you a nursing educator who's looking for an interactive, engaging way to introduce your students to the issue of minority health disparities? Try the "virtual game show" So You Think You Know Minority Health?
As of September 2009, three-quarters of the way through President Obama's first year in office, how many of his promises to First Americans are actually being kept?
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons are 50% to 200% more likely to smoke than the rest of the population, according to the National LGBT Tobacco Control Network.
Nurses can help reduce this tragic disparity by educating minority parents, families and communities about proven “safe sleep” techniques for decreasing SIDS risk.
Despite advances in genetic testing, researchers from Stanford University say many Asian American women with BRCA mutations seem to be falling through the cracks.
A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing suggests that rape victims with dark skin are less likely to have their physical injuries detected, treated and documented as evidence by the sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) or other health care professionals who examine them.
