Health And Health Disparities For The Somali Americans

Health Disparities
Healthcare and health disparities refer to the differences in healthcare issues and conditions between different population groups. These differences not only impact the population groups facing them but also hinder the efforts to improve the quality of healthcare for the whole population with unnecessary cost implications (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). This paper examines health disparities for the Somali Americans and offers a community-based approach that can improve patient outcomes.
Health Disparities among the Somali Americans
Several health and healthcare disparities have been documented for Somali Americans living in Minnesota compared to other non-minority population groups living in the same

Factors Creating Health Disparities for Somali Americans
Several factors contribute either singly or in combination to the observed differences in health between the Somali Americans and the other non-minority population groups (Jones, 2010). Some of the factors that cause the health disparities for this group include the following.
Racism
Racism is the major cause of disparities observed for the Somali Americans. Negative stereotypes of the Somali Americans are common. Based on the national data, approximately 45 % of White Americans believe that most Somali Americans are prone to violence and idleness. 56% of whites believe that this population group prefers to live off welfare, and 29 % of whites believe that the Somali Americans are not intelligent (Williams & Jackson, 2009). There is marked reluctance by whites to acknowledge the positive stereotypes of the Somali Americans. Due to racial discrimination, Somali Americans suffer psychological distress, which increases the incidences of chronic diseases amongst them. Racial discrimination also limits their access to and utilization of healthcare and health insurance

Lower levels of educational attainment and poverty are significantly linked to poor health outcomes as observed amongst the Somali Americans (Williams & Jackson, 2009). Additionally, the disparities are more evident since the other non-minority population groups with higher socioeconomic status have significantly improved their health status.
Cultural Differences
Difference in cultures is another reason for health disparities between the Somali Americans and other non-minority population groups. The majority of healthcare professionals are from the non- minority groups who have cultures that are different from those of the Somali Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). As a result, there are differences in the cultural aspects like language, which limit their access to and utilization of healthcare services
Mental Illness among the Somali