Mortality Rates in the Hispanic community
Mortality rates vary between the Hispanic community and the general population. Discuss the leading causes of death and illness among Hispanic Americans and the options the Advanced Practice Nurse has to overcome the disparity of healthcare for this population.
Post your initial response by Wednesday at midnight. Respond to one student by Sunday at midnight. Both responses should be a minimum of 150 words, scholarly written, APA formatted, and referenced. A minimum of 2 references are required (other than your text). Refer to the Grading Rubric for Online Discussion in the Course Resource section.
Sample Paper
Discussion
Hispanics are among the racial/ethnic minority groups in the U.S. About 1 in 6 in the US residents are Hispanic. In 2019, there were about 60.5 million (18.4%) Hispanics in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019). This population is affected by the disparity of healthcare. For instance, the mortality rates vary between the Hispanic community and the general population. In 2019, the mortality rate for this population in the US was 350.7 deaths per 100 000 (CDC, 2022). One of them is that Hispanics are susceptible to particular health issues compared to the other populations. For instance, this population has higher rates of chronic health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diseases, which are leading causes of death in the US (CDC, 2022). Various factors contribute to high rates of illness among Hispanic Americans. One of them includes limited access to health insurance coverage. This population has the highest uninsured rates compared to any racial/ethnic group in the US (US Department of Health & Health Services, 2021). Also, Hispanic Americans lack access to preventive care such as annual check-ups, flu shots, vaccinations, and mammograms, which help detect or prevent severe health conditions and medical problems before they become major. Thus, this increases their chances of getting diseases or health conditions. Lastly, Hispanics embrace unhealthy lifestyles such as cigarette smoking and physical inactivity, which expose them to various diseases or health conditions, including obesity, heart disease, cancer, and asthma (US Department of Health & Health Services, 2021).
The advanced practice nurse can embrace various strategies to overcome the disparity of healthcare for this population, including providing health education to Hispanics to learn about healthy lifestyles such as smoking cessation and engaging in physical activities that can help them improve their well-being. Also, the nurse needs to advocate for policies that enhance access to health insurance among Hispanics to reduce the number of uninsured individuals. Access to health insurance will improve their access to preventive care that minimizes their exposure to chronic diseases such as cancer, which lead to higher death rates among Hispanics.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). Health of Hispanic or Latino Population. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/hispanic-health.htm
U.S. Census Bureau. (2019). QuickFacts United States. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221
US Department of Health & Health Services. (2021) Hispanic/Latino Americans. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=3&lvlid=64
