Table of Contents
Community diagnosis refers to the process of determining the pattern of health issue in a given community and the factors that influence the outcome. Most people residing in low-income and a highly diverse population of immigrants are vulnerable to malnutrition and chronic illnesses. The difference in access to health services provides the value of using evidence-based interventions in primary care settings among the population. The United States remains vulnerable to immigrants because of the quality of social and public service prevalent in the country. In the recent times, the country has experienced an upsurge of immigrants in the country. Low-income immigrants are mostly uninsured, which creates a burden of poverty and high prevalence of nutrition, chronic illness, and even mental health problems.
Appropriate Diagnosis
Consequently, the policymakers in different fields have engaged in debates that seek to address the use of public resources among immigrants, especially children. Immigrants end up straining public resources, which limits the use by other needy children. The state and federal governments responded by enacting alterations in social welfare and immigration policies. The changes are aimed at capping the use of public resources among immigrants, including children. Some of the reforms are visible in Proposition 187 in California and Congressional reforms on immigration policy. Contrarily, the nutrition and health status of the diverse immigrant population, especially Hispanic children remains valuable (Dixon & Mendoza, 2009).
What is identified as a need and what is available
Research holds that there is limited knowledge on the actual nutritional and health needs. An informed public policy must identify and act on the low-income minority immigrant groups, by getting proper information on their nutritional and health needs. An appropriate community diagnosis should identify the area, who and what causes malnutrition among the diverse group of low-income immigrants. The second step is identifying the needs of the community, which involve proper education to the immigrants. Most low-income immigrants have problems of poverty, which hinders access to healthy food, poor parental education and challenges of accessing healthcare facilities. Most low-income immigrants and their families, including children, have the challenge of accessing health care facilities in the U.S; hence they are vulnerable to chronic disease and malnutrition (Singh, Yu, & Kogan, 2013).
Healthy People. Gov. (2017) defines good nutrition as healthy body weight and physical activity in every person. These ensure that individuals have a low risk of developing serious health conditions, including cancer, obesity, malnutrition, and chronic illnesses among other issues. However, most Americans do not eat a healthful diet and rarely maintain physical activities that promote proper health. In every three adults, less than one adult eat the required amount of vegetables in a day. The situation is even worse among adolescents. The compounding effect is that 81.6% adults and 81.8% adolescents have issues attaining the recommended physical activities.
Consequently, the nation experiences an increasing problem of obesity. Today, 34 % of adults and 16.2 % children are obese. Obesity directly relates to stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases, which are the main causes of death. Additionally, they significantly increase the medical costs and increase the burden to medical care delivery system (Health People Gov, 2017).
Evaluation Process of the Initiative
Healthy People 2020 define disparity as the ethnic and racial differences prevalent in the United States. The sexual identity, sex, race, ethnicity, disability, age, geographic location, and socioeconomic status contribute to an individual’s ability to achieve good health. It recognizes the impact that social determinates have on the health situation of low-income immigrants (Healthy People. Gov. 2017).
Leadership Roles
Its main goal is to improve the well-being of all groups. The desire is to help all Americans attain access to high-quality education, nutritious food, decent and safe housing, health insurance, and culturally sensitive health care providers. Equally, clean water, affordable and reliable public transport, and non-polluted air also rank high in Healthy People 2020 goals (Healthy People 2020).
Description of Advocacy and Leadership
The organization will be assessing the health disparities among the U.S population for the following decade. The main point is to identify chronic conditions, illnesses, behaviors, and deaths of people in different demographic factors. The main determinants will be sexual identity and orientation, ethnicity and race, geographic location, disability and special health care needs, and gender (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2017).
We can do it today.
Summary of Findings and Key Discoveries
Most low-income minorities, including Hispanics, Alaska Natives, Blacks and American Indians remain uninsured. Consequently, they have increased barriers when accessing health care. Resultantly, they receive poor medical care and worse health outcomes that triggers malnutrition and chronic illnesses. In 2011, the HHS, Health and Human Services organization, ACA, and Disparity Action Plan devised priorities and goals to reduce health disparities. Hence, ACA increased options that cover low and moderate-income populations, which involves other provisions with the desire to cover issues of differences. Private, local communities and state organizations are also required to play part in reducing health disparities. Despite ACA efforts, most low income and people of color continue to suffer malnutrition and chronic illnesses because they qualify for insurance based on ethnicity and race (Dixon & Mendoza, 2009).
The population of the United States reported an estimated population if 304 million people in 2008. A million people were recognized as an ethnic and racial minority, with 51 % of them being women. The organization’s goal remained keen on reducing health disparities among Americans. In 2020, the goal improved its scope covering, attaining health equity and improving the health of all groups. Health disparity is linked with separating people based on their environmental, social, and economic disadvantage.
- Dixon, L.B., & Mendoza, F.S. (2009). Chapter 4 the health and Nutritional status of Immigrant Hispanic Children: Analyses of the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. NCBI. Healthy People. Gov. (2017). Disparities.
- Kaiser Family Foundation. (2017). Disparity in Health and Health Care: Five Key Questions and Answers.
- Singh, G., Yu. S. M, & Kogan, M. D. (2013). Health, Chronic Conditions, and Behavioral Risk Disparities among U.S. Immigrant Children and Adolescents. Public Health Reports.