Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. According to data published by the Pew Research Center (Hispanic Population Trends Project 2014), Hispanics account for about 17% of the U.S. population and they are expected to surpass Whites by 2050. Similar to the immigrant groups at the turn of the 20th century, a large number of adult Hispanics are foreign born, do not speak standard American English (41%), and must go through the acculturation process to merge into society1. Hispanics have long experienced racialized discrimination and segregation in the United States. Hispanics are the second most segregated group following African Americans2. The Hispanic community living in the U.S. faces a lot of challenges: discrimination,
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More than 30% of Hispanics are diagnosed with pre-hypertension, and it is highly predictive of the development of hypertension (HTN) within 5 years, and cardiovascular events within 10 years. Death from both ischemic heart disease and stroke increases progressively.6 Diseases of the heart is the leading cause of death for Hispanics. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) describe Hispanics as significantly less likely than non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites to be aware of their condition, be treated with antihypertensive medication, take prescribed medication, and have blood pressure control. Common explanations for low rates of HTN awareness and control and high morbidity and mortality from uncontrolled HTN include Hispanics’ limited access to care because of language difficulty and lack of insurance. Another explanation pertains to health beliefs: Many Hispanics believe that lifestyle changes are unimportant for control of HTN. Limited resources included three subcategories: health insurance for HTN screening; money, specifically not being able to afford healthy food; and the greatest limitation, time to exercise or prepare healthy meals. In addition to not having money for health care, participants noted that eating healthy food was more costly and identified limited finances as a barrier for …show more content…
The model is based three major components: cognitive–perceptual factors that directly influence participation in health-promoting behaviors, modifying factors that indirectly affect health-promoting behaviors through their direct action on the cognitive–perceptual factors, and probability of participating in health-promoting behavior.6
According to Flores (2010) to accomplish changes in health behavior in the Latino/Hispanic population, it is critical that a social action research model be used and that it be applied to Latinos. This research model is designed to be sensitive to the social, political, and economic conditions of the population studied as well as scientifically appropriate.
When studying this specific population, these are four of the major challenges that can be experienced : (1) Most of the studies do not have a relevant theoretic al framework. (2) Psychosocial constructs are used to predict or influence behavior they are not necessarily understood within Latino social and cultural context. (3) Minority groups have typically been underrepresented in health behavior research (4) Studies focusing on Latino populations or subpopulations often have not devoted sufficient attention to acculturation as a variable important to health
More than 30% of Hispanics are diagnosed with pre-hypertension, and it is highly predictive of the development of hypertension (HTN) within 5 years, and cardiovascular events within 10 years. Death from both ischemic heart disease and stroke increases progressively.6 Diseases of the heart is the leading cause of death for Hispanics. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) describe Hispanics as significantly less likely than non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites to be aware of their condition, be treated with antihypertensive medication, take prescribed medication, and have blood pressure control. Common explanations for low rates of HTN awareness and control and high morbidity and mortality from uncontrolled HTN include Hispanics’ limited access to care because of language difficulty and lack of insurance. Another explanation pertains to health beliefs: Many Hispanics believe that lifestyle changes are unimportant for control of HTN. Limited resources included three subcategories: health insurance for HTN screening; money, specifically not being able to afford healthy food; and the greatest limitation, time to exercise or prepare healthy meals. In addition to not having money for health care, participants noted that eating healthy food was more costly and identified limited finances as a barrier for …show more content…
The model is based three major components: cognitive–perceptual factors that directly influence participation in health-promoting behaviors, modifying factors that indirectly affect health-promoting behaviors through their direct action on the cognitive–perceptual factors, and probability of participating in health-promoting behavior.6
According to Flores (2010) to accomplish changes in health behavior in the Latino/Hispanic population, it is critical that a social action research model be used and that it be applied to Latinos. This research model is designed to be sensitive to the social, political, and economic conditions of the population studied as well as scientifically appropriate.
When studying this specific population, these are four of the major challenges that can be experienced : (1) Most of the studies do not have a relevant theoretic al framework. (2) Psychosocial constructs are used to predict or influence behavior they are not necessarily understood within Latino social and cultural context. (3) Minority groups have typically been underrepresented in health behavior research (4) Studies focusing on Latino populations or subpopulations often have not devoted sufficient attention to acculturation as a variable important to health