Coronary heart disease is quite common in the general population. It is associated with a buildup of fatty substances in the coronary arteries and is expressed as problems with the blood supply to the heart (Gillespie et al., 2019). Narrowing of the arteries occurs further due to an atheroma outgrowth, which limits blood flow to the heart muscle. This study focuses on the statistical distribution of the percentage of this disease in a particular population by analyzing data from medical sources and studies.
The Population of Interest and Health Condition
In today’s society, there is still a problem of discrimination based on ethnicity or gender. In my practice, I often find that specific categories of people are given less attention or importance. It is unacceptable because prejudice and stereotypes are highly harmful, especially in the medical industry. That is why this study aims to look at a group of African-American women and determine the statistical distribution of coronary heart disease in this population.
According to general statistics for the entire population, the percentage of women suffering from the disease is higher than that of men. One in sixteen women in the U.S. aged 18 years or older has coronary heart disease (Centers for Disease Control, 2022). It defines a total of 6.2% of all women, with African-American women slightly leading with 6.5% of the disease among Black women (Centers for Disease Control, 2022). This rate is the highest among ethnic groups, which is the reason and reason for the study to determine the causes.
The Search Process: Sources, Organizations and Agencies for Health Statistics
Finding and adapting information is a meaningful part of the process of researching coronary heart disease statistics among African-American women. Information from the CDC, Centers for Disease Control, and the Office of Minority Health in the Health and Human Services Department were used as statistical data for assessment. The analysis was based on such data on adult women of the relevant ethnic group 18 years or older. Digital libraries, with the help of Google Scholar, provided the necessary academic articles for additional analysis of the information. All sources met the academic requirements: they were published, and peer-reviewed, and their publication date is no older than five years
The Health Information Obtained in the Search
According to the sources analyzed, several significant factors contribute to the causes of heart disease, including CHD. These are common to all ethnic groups and include smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, nutritional problems, lack of physical activity, and use of harmful substances (Centers for Disease Control, 2022). Obesity is most common among the African-American population, with over 70% of adult women and 60% of men being overweight or obese (Nayak et al., 2020). Some studies cite a possible Black minority gene that increases salt sensitivity as one of the main reasons for CHD, which transforms into further increases in blood pressure and risk of CHD (Nayak et al., 2020). Thus, African-American women have the highest risks of the disease compared to any other social group.
There is an upward trend in this problem when analyzing statistical data. The abundance and availability of cholesterol, junk food, alcohol, and cigarettes are increasing every year, which negatively affects the number of people who get sick: for example, in 2018, the average proportion of CHD among the population studied was 5.4% compared to today’s 6.5% (Office of Minority Health, n.d.).
Moreover, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women in the ethnic population studied (Cushman et al., 2021). Epidemiological methods of influencing this problem consist of additional efforts to combat the causes of disease, additional health screenings, and psychological counseling. In the state of Minnesota, FAITH is addressing this problem (Manjunath et al., 2019). Moreover, CHD is a major cause of hospitalization, which increases the clinical burden on the medical field. This cause can be addressed through the prevention and correction of minority attitudes, which can ultimately release additional physician capacity to other areas.
The aforementioned statistical information refers to the distribution of the entire study population across the country. Specifically, in Minneapolis and Minnesota, the prevalence of CHD among Black women is currently less than five percent, one of the lowest rates nationwide (Manjunath et al., 2019). This rate is significantly higher than the overall rates for other ethnic groups, as in all states, and signals high risks for the selected population.
Findings Interpretation
One of the root causes, though not immediately apparent, is the dependence on the ethnicity of the group studied. Discrimination that has shaped attitudes toward African-Americans because of slavery and a general disregard for women has made this group most physically and psychologically vulnerable (Gillespie et al., 2019). An example and justification for this reason is the racial segregation still occurring today. Due to segregation, territorial and societal separation and pressure on minorities have formed. The underpayment of African-Americans, pushing them into disadvantaged neighborhoods, and negative attitudes promote stress, austerity, and a decline in the quality and regularity of food intake.
Because of the negative impact and public reaction in some cases, problems also arise when already diagnosed with CHD. The quality of medical care provided may be lower, and due to social insecurity, there may be problems with health insurance for the study group (Manjunath et al., 2019). For this reason, some members of the ethnic group may fear or delay going to the doctor, which only contributes to the development of the disease and its mortality rate. Another example is social insecurity, expressed both on the physical and legal levels. The main methods to fight it must be to educate and improve society. With the normalization and equalization of all races and genders, as well as the proper promotion of healthy lifestyles and diets, the problem of CHD risks can be reduced as much as possible.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Women and heart disease. Web.
Cushman, M., Shay, C. M., Howard, V. J., Jiménez, M. C., Lewey, J., McSweeney, J. C., Newby, L. K., Poudel, R., Reynolds, H. R., Rexrode, K. M., Sims, M., Mosca, L. J., & American Heart Association. (2021). Ten-year differences in women’s awareness related to coronary heart disease: Results of the 2019 American heart association national survey: A special report from the American heart association. Circulation, 143(7), 239–248. Web.
Gillespie, S. L., Anderson, C. M., Zhao, S., Tan, Y., Kline, D., Brock, G., Odei, J., O’Brien, E., Sims, M., Lazarus, S. A., Hood, D. B., Williams, K. P., & Joseph, J. J. (2019). Allostatic load in the association of depressive symptoms with incident coronary heart disease: The Jackson Heart Study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 109(1), 104369. Web.
Manjunath, C., Ifelayo, O., Jones, C., Washington, M., Shanedling, S., Williams, J., Patten, C. A., Cooper, L. A., & Brewer, L. C. (2019). Addressing cardiovascular health disparities in Minnesota: Establishment of a community steering committee by FAITH! (Fostering African-American Improvement in Total Health). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(21), 4144. Web.
Nayak, A., Hicks, A. J., & Morris, A. A. (2020). Understanding the complexity of heart failure risk and treatment in Black patients. Circulation: Heart Failure, 13(8), e007264. Web.
Office of Minority Health. (n.d.). HHS. Web.