An Overview of the African Americans
The African Americans of the US are what some people prefer to call the Blacks or the Negros. This group of Americans has its origins in those parts of the world that have the black race such as Africa and the Caribbean. There are some families of this category of Americans that have lived in the country for many generations while others are immigrants that have settled in the country (Rastogi, et al. 2011).
The Demographics of the African Americans
According to the findings of the US Census Bureau, there are about 45,003,665 Blacks residing in the nation, which means that they are about 14.1% of the entire population. These statistics include the categories of the same group that identify themselves as either being black or as being a combination of other races with the black race. The group that identifies itself as blacks only makes up 41.6 million, which translates to about 13.2% of the population (Rastogi et al. 2011). At least, each state in the country as a percentage of the Black population, but their concentration varies. For instance, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Maryland, and South Carolina have the largest population sizes of the blacks in their respective order. At the same time, Montana, Vermont, Idaho, Maine, and North Dakota have the lowest concentration of the black race.
Health Care Practices Of the Blacks
African Americans have increased levels of consciousness about the importance of medical care. As such, the number of blacks who seek medical services such as treatments and screening has been on the rise. However, their levels of literacy for health affairs vary with each generation. In this respect, the older generation of the same race was suspicious of the medical practitioners because of their past experiences with them (Carteret, 2011).
The Risk Behaviors of the African Americans
There are disparities in the levels of health of African Americans, which result from environmental disadvantages. For instance, those that live in the low-income regions of the country are almost negligent to the medical procedures and their implications. Another risk behavior concerning their health is their tendency to be reliant on fast foods, which increases their likelihood of contracting dietary diseases such as obesity (Carteret, 2011).
Genetic Susceptibility to Chronic Conditions
The black race is more susceptible to some chronic infections such as diabetes mellitus and blood pressure levels than the whites (Cooper, 2004). The genetic configurations also place the blacks at a higher risk of contracting heart failure, asthma as well as being obese. However, there is a need to realize that the levels of vulnerability to the mentioned conditions and others vary from one person to another depending on variables in their immunity (Carteret, 2011)
Nutrition among the Blacks
There are several nutritional problems in the US, such as obesity, which is a menace that has led the government to find initiatives that improve the nutrition status of the affected groups (Carteret, 2011). In this respect, the blacks are among the target though the rest in the same category who do not experience the problem observe the rule of a balanced diet.
Spirituality of the Blacks
Many African Americans have staunch religious and spiritual affiliations, with most of them being Christians and others having Islamic associations. However, it remains that most of them attach their medical and physical well-being to their spirituality (Carteret, 2011).
Death Rituals of the Backs
The blacks tend to observe their belief in the sanctity of human life, which drives them into relying on the fundamental aspects of communal life in times of death (Carteret, 2011). Most of them trust that the dead remain a part of the community and consider burying them in places where they will hold memorials often. Some of them, believe that death corresponds with the will of God, according to the teachings of their religious inclinations.
References
Carteret, M. (2011). Health Care for African American Patients/Families. [Online]. Web.
Cooper, R.S. (2004). Genetic Factors in Ethnic Disparities in Health. [Online]. Web.
Rastogi, S., Johnson, D.T., Hoeffel, M.E., & Drewery, M.P. (2011). Black Populations: 2010-2010 Census Briefs. [Online]. Web.