Diabetes in African Americans (Health Problem)
Augusta Georgia- Richmond County (Community)
- Explain how specific social determinants within Augusta Georgia-Richmond County community might impact the overall health of the community.
- Give a background on diabetes In African Americans and describe any other important information on the health problem.
- Diabetes in African Americans in Augusta Richmond County and how it is being address and resources or preventative measures in place.
- Describe the size of the (Augusta Georgia – Richmond County) area, climate, history, size and density of the population, demographic structure of the population (e.g., race, ethnic groups gender, age) both current and historically.
- Analyze the strength and weaknesses of Augusta Georgia-Richmond County community and population, evaluate the well-being of the community and population, analyze the safety of the community.
- Housing and zoning and business industry in Augusta Georgia Richmond County
Sample Paper
Explain how specific social determinants within Augusta Georgia-Richmond County community might impact the overall health of the community.
The health of a community is affected by several social determinants of health, including economic status, access to healthcare facilities, level of education, employment rates, and the surrounding, among others. The social-economic status in Agusta is likely to lead to poor community health outcomes. The median house income in Agusta is $43, 759 which is less than that of Georgia at $58 700, and the national median income of about $67,52. This is likely to cause families to be unable to afford healthcare services or insurance, leading to poor health outcomes. Approximately 23.2% of individuals in Agusta live in poverty; this population is higher than the average in Georgia at 21.3%. High poverty levels are associated with poor health outcomes due to the inability to afford basic life necessities such as quality food and healthcare services, which leads to poor health outcomes for a community. About 15% of the population under the age of 65 years in Agusta also lack health insurance coverage and therefore are likely to be unable to access healthcare services when required, leading to poor health outcomes. The level of education is relatively improving, about 86% of the population at least graduated from high school, and 22.7% have a bachelor’s degree or higher, improved level of education is associated with improved healthcare outcomes in a community (United States Census Bureau, 2021).
Give a background on diabetes in African Americans and describe any other important information on the health problem.
The office of minority health estimates that approximately 12.7% and 13.4% of African American women and men have been diagnosed with diabetes. This rate is more than 60% of the white population diagnosed with diabetes. African Americans have been shown to have a higher likelihood of dying from diabetes; they are at least twice likely to die from diabetes complications compared to their white counterparts. The population is also three times more likely to be hospitalized for diabetes complications such as end-stage renal disease and twice likely to have foot amputation. Type2 diabetes mellitus is the most common diabetes among the African American population. The high prevalence of the disease is attributed to several factors, such as the social-economic status of the population. Diabetes is highly influenced by a person’s lifestyle, such as access to quality and healthy food and access to medical care services. The majority of African American population lives in relatively poor neighborhoods with limited access to medical services and other basic life necessities, which leads to a higher prevalence of diabetes (American Heart Association, 2021).
Diabetes in African Americans in Augusta Richmond County and how it is being address and resources or preventative measures in place.
About 12.4% of the Georgia population has diabetes. At least 1 in 10 people living in Georgia has diabetes. In Agusta, the African American population is estimated to be 112 850, which makes up 57.23% of the population in the county. The prevalence of diabetes in Richmond-County is estimated to be 13.6%. To manage and prevent diabetes across all the counties of Georgia, the department of public health runs Georgia Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. The program promotes early screening to ensure that diagnoses are made early and within time to initiate treatment and avoid complications. Several other healthcare facilities in Agusta are dedicated to providing diabetes care and education to the population to improve patient outcomes. For Example, the Comprehensive Diabetes Care Center, which is run by Agusta university, and Diabetes & Endocrinology clinic (Office of Minority Health, 2022).
Describe the size of the (Augusta Georgia – Richmond County) area, climate, history, size and density of the population, demographic structure of the population both current and historically.
Agusta has a humid subtropical climate experiencing short and mild winters and hot and humid summers. Snowfall is not very common like in other parts of the states, but freezing is common. Agusta was established in 1736; where it was named after Princess Agusta of Saxe-Gotha; it is well known for hosting master golf tournaments every spring. The city is the second-largest in Georgia and covers an area of 793.7 km². It the home to approximately 200,477 people as of 2020. The African American population makes up 57% of the entire population, while the white makes up 36%, and the rest comprises other ethnic groups. The median age for its population is 33.9%, and females make up 51.16% of the entire population. Poverty is estimated to be 23.05%, and the median household income is estimated to be $43 759 (Agusta Georgia, 2022).
Analyze the strength and weaknesses of Augusta Georgia-Richmond County community and population, evaluate the well-being of the community and population, analyze the safety of the community.
Some of the strengths of Agusta include a large number of higher education institutions that ensures that the city dwellers have access to the right training and qualifications needed to succeed in the marketplace. The number of healthcare facilities associated with universities and other educational institutions is relatively high, which ensures that quality care services are available to the city inhabitants. The facilities are also major employers in the city. The city is also a center of biotechnology industries and the military, which provides significant employment opportunities to the people living in the state. The city is also well-known for hosting a master golf tournament (Agusta Georgia, 2022). A major weakness of Agusta city is the high dependency ratio. About 36% of the population in this city is either above 65 years or below 18 years and therefore are likely to depend on the productive population for basic life necessities. The city is a center of biotechnology industries with several manufacturing industries located in the area, which create employment for the residents; the agricultural industry is relatively stable, ensuring a constant supply of food. The healthcare sector is well developed, with several healthcare facilities which ensure access to timely and quality medical care (United States Census Bureau, 2021).
Housing and zoning and business industry in Augusta Georgia Richmond County
The basic zoning district includes A-zones, including areas where agriculture is practiced. Building restricted to this zone include single-family residential houses guided by R1 zone guidelines and other farm-related structures. R1-zone includes areas for the development of one-family residential houses. Different subtypes range from 6000 square feet to 15 000 square feet. Some B-1 zones include both business and residential facilities. B-2 zones only permit business building development; L-I and H-I zones restrict light and heavy industry development, respectively. Planned development riverfront (PDR) zones are more restrictive, and any developments are subject to review and approval by a selected committee (Agusta.Gov, 2019).
References
Agusta Georgia, (2022) History Retrieved from: https://www.augustaga.gov/397/History
Agusta.Gov, (2019) COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE OF AUGUSTA, GEORGIA Retrieved from: https://www.augustaga.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8388/Comprehensive-Zoning-Ordinance—November-2019
American Heart Association, (2021) The challenge of diabetes in the Black community needs comprehensive solutions Retrieved from: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/07/13/the-challenge-of-diabetes-in-the-black-community-needs-comprehensive-solutions
Office of Minority Health, (2022) Diabetes and African Americans Retrieved from: https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=18
United States Census Bureau, (2021) QuickFacts; Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), Georgia Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/augustarichmondcountyconsolidatedgovernmentbalancege
