Diabetes
Mexican Americans and Black Americans are more prone to acquiring diabetes by 50 percent more than white Americans. Furthermore, black Americans suffering from diabetes more often than not develop serious complications such as kidney failure, loss of limb and loss of vision as compared to their white counterparts. The findings came from Dr. Maudene Nelson, who works at the Columbia University Diabetes Center.
The culprit? It can either be cultural fatalism or access to health care. People saying that it is God’s will, or accepting the fact that it runs in the family are some of the more common excuses in why this is the case. There are current studies on finding out why black Americans are more susceptible, but there’s still much to learn and discover. What doctors do know is that there are genetic findings explaining the fact that black Americans are more susceptible to diabetes and its effects. The underlying problem is figuring out how to empower these people and show them that they can control this deadly disease.
Dr. Nelson says that patients display a kind of indifference in dealing with their health problems, especially diabetes. The physician tells the patient what their blood sugar is and what factors could affect their blood sugar levels. Medicine is needed to bring the blood sugar level to acceptable levels. Diabetes educators should inform their patients about the importance of managing their own health.
Dr. Elizabeth Carson, an educator at the Anderson Cancer Center in the Texas University and postdoctoral fellow in the cancer division, points out the fact that black Americans don’t have the necessary tools of empowerment to take full control and manage their disease. She outlines the social determinants of why this happens. She says that she once drove into a neighborhood dominated by black people and observed their way of life. She was surprised at the level of health education the black kids get as compared to the white kids in other neighborhoods. Dr. Carson mentions that it’s not just the education aspect, but it’s the everyday living and beliefs as well. Black parents tell their children to stay indoors because of the high crime rate. Black Americans lack transportation to get to their health care providers. Moreover, they don’t have access to healthy food such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
