ASian American Health Disparities Health, Medicine Research Paper

Asian American Health Disparities
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Asian American Health Disparities
The Asian American demographic in the United States comprises individuals originating from East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, including and not limited to China, Pakistan, and Korea. The population accounts for approximately 5.4% of the country’s population, with a significant bicoastal distribution (Jayaram, n.d.). The percentage shows that Asian American is one of the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report, the minority group experiences emotional and behavioral issues related to their health status, considering their existence as immigrants in America (Jayaram, n.d.). Also, health status among the population is challenged by other disparities such as race and cultural differences. The group faces various health disparities in cancer, and other chronic diseases like hypertension, heart disease, mental illnesses, diabetes (Jayaram, n.d.). Asian American is the only population with cancer as the leading cause of death in the United States. The disparities could be originating from the nutritional challenges in the access of healthy products such as fruits and vegetables. Every nutritional component is essential for substantial health, and low dietary composition could trigger the health disparities suffered by Asian Americans.
However, there are significant barriers to the delivery of health for Asian Americans. Kim and Keefe (2010) argue that the language barrier is a significant challenge to the population since most individuals cannot converse in English. Thus, they are limited in essential aspects such as making appointments with clinicians, locating the health facilities, communicating with health care professionals, and getting sufficient knowledge on their ailments. The issue is extreme among elderly individuals as they are the least likely to be conversant with English. Next, health literacy is a significant challenge (Kim and Keefe, 2010). The challenge entails the inability to read or understand health content in specific health situations. The literacy essentials involve understanding drug instructions, prescriptions, clinicians’ direct and consent forms, and the health care systems (Kim and Keefe, 2010). Health insurance is also a barrier. According to Kim and Keefe (2010), insurance is vital in providing health care, but the United States does not emphasize equality in its delivery, creating significant disparity that deprives groups of acquiring quality care. These barriers pose substantial challenges for the minority group’s access to efficient health care services, compromising their health status.
On the other hand, Asian Americans engage in various activities to promote their health. Liu et al. (2015) argue that adaptation in the practices has gained international and local support by health organizations, resulting in improved health status. The promoters based in various countries, including and not limited to the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia, work with the minority groups in encouraging them to indulge and keep the activities in motion to enh...