Population Health

Population Health
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Data Evaluation
The data gathered focuses on heart disease and stroke, particularly for older men aged sixty-five and above, who have a higher risk than women. Subsequently, according to the CDC (2020), the mortality rate for the ailments is estimated at one in every three deaths, although other cardiovascular disorders (CVD) also contribute. Additionally, the associated burden of disease for the illnesses is estimated at $214 billion with an approximated $138 billion in the loss of productivity annually, from the associated mortality rates. Currently, more than 868,000 individuals in the U.S. succumb to the diseases (CDC, 2020). As related to risk factors, CVD, such as hypertension affect more that 108 adults in the U.S., suggesting a significant prevalence rate.
Racial groups, such as African Americans and American Indian are at more risk than whites. People of a lower socio-economic rate, low-education, and income, such as racial groups not native to the U.S. are more likely to develop the conditions. Although heart disease is the primary cause of death for all Americans, Its prevalence rate is high among African-Americans. Studies show that the deaths from heart disease are higher in the black community due to risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes (Flack et al., 2013).
Community Demographic
The 2016 Census Bureau Estimates show that African-Americans are the second-largest racial minority groups in the US, with a population of over 40 million representing approximately 13.4% of the country's population (US Census Bureau, 2016). The majority of the blacks (About 58% of the black people in the US) live in the South. According to the US Census Bureau (2016), the African-Americans are concentrated in the following ten states: - New York, California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, and Louisiana. These ten states represent 58% of the total African-American population (US Census Bureau, 2016).
Epidemiological data
As noted, the black community experiences an inordinately high rate of heart disease and stroke. Risk factors for heart disease in this population include high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. According to (Flack et al., 2013), black people are highly susceptible to high blood pressure than whites. McFayden Jr (2019) thinks that high blood pressure in African-Americans may be caused by the genetic make-up of individuals of African descent. Researchers have also revealed that black people respond differently to high blood pressure compare to other ethnic groups. Besides, African-Americans appear to be more sensitive to salt, which increases the chances of high blood pressure.
According to Flack et al. (2013), high blood pressure in black people is caused by factors unique to the experience of African-Americans in the US. Globally, black people have a similar high blood pressure to whites. However, the difference is dramatic in the US. Almost 41% of African-Americans have a high blood pressure than about 27% of whites (Gadegbeku et al., 2015). Additionally, African-Americans are more likely to be overweight than blacks in other parts of the world. Some experts believe that social and economic factors like discrimination and economic imbalance lead to this difference.
Environmental Data
Blood pressure is one of the significant risk factors of heart disease and stroke in the African-American community. Certain environmental factors like noise and air pollution have an impact on a heart attack. Air pollution can affect an individual’s heart and circulation by damaging the blood vessels' inner walls, making them narrower and harder (Holden, 2019). This narrowing and hardening of the blood vessels restrict the blood's movement, increasing the person’s blood pressure, which causes heart attack (Holden, 2019).
Exposure to air pollution also leads to stroke. Similarly, noise pollution can also cause heart attack and stroke. According to (Aluko 2015), loud sounds disrupt sleep, which could trigger health problems, and even inflict a stress response that releases a rush of hormones. Continual exposure to sound pollution eventually damages the heart. Most African Americans are exposed to air and noise pollution because they live in areas prone to pollution to low-income. Averagely, the black community in the US is exposed to 61% of air pollutants (Holden, 2019). This makes them highly susceptible to heart attack compared to whites.
Based on the above data, the health problem to address is cardiovascular disease in a black community. It is mainly caused by hypertension, which is a significant problem faced by African-Americans. About 30% of all deaths in this community are attributed to hypertension (Flack et al., 2013).
From an environmental perspective, lifestyle is a significant contributing factor of heart diseases and stroke. In this regard, the CDC (2020) associates diabetes, smoking and exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke, overweight, unhealthy foods, and the lack of physical activity with an elevated rate of developing CVD and related heart conditions. For example, a patient affected by obesity is two to three times more likely to be affected, while 72% of people living with obesity often develop stroke and other heart ailments. The primary source is the CDC an official government-related website that employs high-quality research to formulate its reports. In this regard. The material occupies a high level of evidence that valid and credible in informing clinical practice.
Meeting Community Needs
The proposed health improvement plan focuses on community education and awareness. In this regard, the primary goal is prevention and assisting affected persons to prolong their lives. A study conducted by Aminde et al. (2017) found significant correlations between community awareness and the significant reduction of CVD. In such a case, prominent aspects encompass encouraging behavior change, such promoting participation in physical exercise and nutritional counseling to reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods. Focusing on people aged above sixty-five, various needs, such as conservatism, language barriers, cognitive issues, and physical limitations in participating in exercise are unique. Moreover, care accessibility and affordability are also prominent and may significantly affect the quality of the intervention.
The health improvement plan incorporates patient-centered and culturally...