Disease Prevention Measures among African Americans Living in the United States Essay

My research explores race-based medicine. Specifically, my research will focus on what preventative measures are available for African American women living in the United States. Among minorities African American women have a higher number of health disparities; psychological and disease oriented. What percentages of minorities take advantage of preventative medicine? What percentage of African Americans are aware of resources made available to them? The growing number of obesity related diseases among African American women has increased more than 23% from 2010 (Nickens, H.W., 2006). Failure to use preventative measures has sparked much concern surrounding the implications and scientific evidence of race-based medicine. Race-based medicine focuses on the current system of public health services because now more than ever. Due to the increasing number of deaths within the African American community there is an expectation from the larger medical community on how to improve medical services that will work more efficiently for African American women. The concern about preventative measures among minority groups focuses on three things; 1) that it meets the needs of the individual, 2) that the service will be free at point of delivery and 3) that once service is received the individual will continue to utilize the service which will increase preventative measures for African American women. Preventative measures of obesity related diseases for African American women are lacking in several areas. Awareness about health systems and services offered are sometimes misinterpreted and therefore discourages African American women to utilize health information and facilities offered to the general public. References Anand, Sonia S. â€Å"Using Ethnicity as a Classification Variable in Health Research.† Ethnicity and Health 4:4 (2003): 241-244. Braun, Lundy. â€Å"Race, Ethnicity, and Health.† Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 45: 2 (2009): 159-74. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2006). Recommendations to improve preconception health and health care-United States. The Center for Disease Control, Morbidity and Mortality World Report. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2010). Obesity: Maternal and infant health research in pregnancy complications. Retrieved from website: http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/MaternalInfantHealth/PregComplications.htm Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2009, October 2). Quickstats: Prevalence of obesity among adults aged > 20 years, by race/ethnicity and sex-national health and nutrition examination survey, united states, 2003-2006. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5838a6.htm Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Black or African American populations. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/omhd/Populations/BAA/BAA.htm Institute of Medicine (IOM). (2009). Weight gain d uring pregnancy: Reexamining the guidelines. Retrieved from The National Academy of Sciences website: http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2009/Weight-Gain-During-Pregnancy-Reexamining-the-Guidelines.aspx Nickens, N. W. (2006). Health Affairs: Health promotion and disease prevention among Minorities. Vol (9), no. 2: 133-143. Doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.9.2.133 Siega-Riz, A. M., King, J. (2009). American Dietetic Position Paper. Obesity, reproduction, and pregnancy. Journal of American Dietetic Association, 109 (4), 918-927. Stothard, K., Tennant, P., Bell, R., & Rankin, J. (2009). Maternal overweight and obesity and the risk of congenital anomalies: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA, 301(6), 636-650. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). (2011). Maternal, infant and child health. Retrieved from website: http://healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/micHealth.aspx Weiss, J., Malone, F., Emig, D., Ball, R., Nyberg, D., Comstock, C. (2004). Obesity, obstetric complications and cesarean delivery rate: A population-based screening study. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 190(4), 1091-1097.