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“Minority
groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans,
and Native Americans, suffer a disproportionate health burden
from major diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and
HIV/AIDS,” says
Michael Romain, M.D., an
internal medicine physician with The Austin Diagnostic Clinic
(ADC). “Minority groups have higher incidences of disease and
higher mortality rates from these diseases. This continued
problem highlights the need for more research and an increased
effort in making sure these populations have access to the care
they need.”
African
Americans
African
Americans are the second largest minority group in the U.S. next
to Hispanics. This population has suffered greatly from one
disease in particular—HIV/AIDS. African Americans are 10 times
more likely than white Americans to die from AIDS. AIDS is the
leading cause of death for African American women ages 25-34,
and the third leading cause of death for African American men in
that same age group.
African
Americans have a higher mortality rate from cancer than any
other group. African American men are more than twice as likely
as white men to die from prostate cancer. Genetic gene variances
in human DNA that are most often found in African American men
may contribute to the high rate of prostate cancer in this
minority group.
African
American women have the highest mortality rate for breast
cancer. Recent National Cancer Institute (NCI) research has
indicated that younger African American women as well as
Hispanic women are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive
breast tumors that are more difficult to treat successfully.
African
Americans are also more likely than white Americans to be
diagnosed with diabetes and stroke, and African American men are
30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than white men.
Hispanics
Hispanics/Latinos are the largest minority group in the U.S.
Hispanics include people of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, South
or Central American descent, or any other group of Spanish
culture or origin. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by 2050
Hispanics will constitute 30 percent of the U.S. population.
HIV/AIDS is
spreading rapidly throughout the Hispanic population. Though
Hispanics constituted 15 percent of the U.S. population in 2006,
they accounted for 17 percent of new HIV cases reported that
year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The
rate of new HIV cases was three times that of whites in 2006.
Hispanic
women have the highest rates of cervical cancer, though African
American women have the highest mortality rate for that type of
cancer. Hispanics also have higher rates of liver and stomach
cancer than whites, though Hispanics have a lower incidence of
other types of cancer such as prostate and breast cancer.
Obesity is a
risk factor for diabetes, and Mexican American men are more
likely to be overweight or obese than white men, according to
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS).
Hispanics are one and a half times more likely to be diagnosed
with diabetes than whites, but are less likely to die from heart
disease.
Asian
Americans
Asian
Americans—the group having origins in any of countries of the
Far East or Southeast Asia—are the fastest growing minority
group in the U.S., currently accounting for five percent of the
population. This group has lower rates of HIV than whites, but
according to the CDC, the numbers of HIV/AIDS cases among Asian
Americans has been steadily growing over the years. This group
also has the highest liver and stomach cancer incidences and
mortality rates of all ethnic groups.
One risk
factor for stomach cancer as a type of bacteria called H.
pylori, according to the NCI. Researchers suggest that infection
with this bacterium might partly explain why Asian Americans
have higher rates of stomach cancer.
Native
Americans
This group
represents people who have origins in any of the original people
of North, South, or Central America and who still have tribal
affiliation or attachment. In 2007 there were about 4.5 million
American Indian and Alaska Natives in the U.S., making up 1.5
percent of the population.
Native
Americans are three times more likely to have AIDS than whites.
This population also has higher rates of kidney cancer and
mortality from kidney cancer than any other ethnic group,
according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Native American
men are almost two times more likely to have stomach cancer than
white men, and are more than twice as likely to die from that
type of cancer.
Native
Americans are more than twice as likely to have diabetes as
whites. According to data from 2005, they were also twice as
likely to die from diabetes. Adults in this group are also more
likely than white adults to have heart disease.
“There are
many different organizations studying or expanding their studies
of minority health disparities,” says Dr. Romain. “Research is
indicating that there are many complicated reasons for
disparities, including socioeconomic causes, cultural and
language barriers, and access to care. Our minority populations
are growing rapidly, and these groups are going to represent an
even larger percentage of our total population in the coming
years. To improve the total health of the U.S., we’re going to
have to focus on improving the health of our minority
populations.” |
