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Black/African Americans and Health Care

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Black/African Americans and Health Care
Paula Elizondo
Grand Canyon University: NRS-429V
November 23, 2014

Black/African Americans and Health Care Americans live in a country that is considered a melting pot of many different ethnic groups and cultures. In fact, the U.S. Census of 2010 reported that 36.3% of the population belongs to a racial or ethnic minority group (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). In spite of national goals to improve health care, including the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014), many Americans are still finding it difficult and challenging to maintain good health and having their health care needs addressed. For many Americans, race is a huge issue in healthcare today. Minority and ethnic groups are especially susceptible to race related health issues. One such group with a deep seeded history in the United States is Black or African Americans. Black/African Americans are the second largest minority group in the United States (Edelman, Kudzma, & Mandle, 2014). Because of the history involving slavery and segregation, Black/African Americans still have to deal with inequalities in many aspects of their lives such as health care, regardless of changes over the last 60 years (Edelman, Kudzma, & Mandle, 2014). The health status, barriers to health, and health disparities of Black/African Americans demonstrate a need for improvement in equality and the resources that are available in order to improve their health.
Health Status & Disparities
According to the National Vital Statistics Report, the top 10 leading causes of death of Black/African Americans are: Heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and unintentional injuries, Nephritis/Nephrotic Syndrome & Nephrosis, chronic lower respiratory disease, homicide, septicemia, and Alzheimer's Disease

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