African American Disease

Heart Disease amongst African Americans
When asked what was the main cause of death for the people within the United States is, most people think diseases like cancer or even diabetes, but statistically speaking the number one killer of Americans is heart disease. “Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and African Americans disproportionately experience more cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, and diabetes”(Schwandt, Coresh, Hindin, 2010, p. 9). What is even more alarming is the fact that in many cases the disease is considered preventable when it comes down to focusing on minimizing an individual’s risk factors. Another shocking revelation is that while the disease can

“Many scholars have written about the historical underpinnings and likely consequences of African Americans distrust in health care, yet little research has been done to understand if and how this distrust affects African Americans' current views of the trustworthiness of physicians” (Jacobs, Rolle, Ferrans, Whitaker, and Warnecke, 2006, 643). As shown by the increasing number of preventable heart disease related deaths, this distrust of physicians could possibly be a mindset that continues to pass on from one generation to the next. Participants in a study done by Jacobs et al., (2006) point out that trust is determined by the social and technical ability of physicians. There are many factors when it comes to distrust in physicians, such as privation of social and technical ability, the quest for revenue and anticipations of racism and experimentation during routine provision of health care. Trust seems to facilitate care-seeking behavior and encourages patient trustworthiness and adherence. When you have no trust in your physician it can constrain the care-seeking and can/or will result in a change in physician and may lead to non-adherence. If African Americans do not believe that the healthcare system in place looks out for their best interests (Gamble, 1997), they are definitely

Sixty-three percent of African American adults below the poverty line described having one out of the four chronic diseases (hypertension, heart disease, diabetes or asthma) or a disability, compared to half of low-income whites and 39 percent of low-income Hispanic adults. Forty-five percent of African American adults whom are considered below the poverty line reported health problems, compared to 32 percent of whites and 23 percent of Hispanics in the higher income group (CDC