Brief History of African Americans In the United States
Portuguese and Spanish explored America with Africans’ help, leading some to Mississippi. African American history started in early 1619 when they worked as servants for a specific white employer. Slave traders from the Portuguese kidnapped the black people and used them for forced labor since they held low status in society and found it hard to use other people. The majority of black people’s origin was the western coast of Africa. However, African Americans had the right to life, which led to the hanging of some whites. In general, regions, customs, and family structures were formed by African Americans with minimum interference from their masters, whose most significant concerns were farm outputs.
Behavioral Risk Factors and Common Diseases that African Americans Experience
Lack of physical exercise is one of the significant behavior factors among African Americans. Therefore, a lack of exercise may lead to a person suffering from cardiac arrest. Exercising helps the blood sacculation in the body, thus reducing the heart diseases that might lead to heart failure. Some African Americans suffer from obesity which is brought about by their daily lifestyle. Obese people are found to suffer a significant risk of suffering a stroke, resulting in disability or even death (Carnethon 394). In addition to that, stress can significantly affect a person to the point where they suffer from high blood pressure. One-third of the African Americans suffer from hypertension, a relatively large number of people.
Why There Is a General Mistrust by African Americans in the Medical System
The African Americans feared that their race could be used for testing new medicine in the market without their consent. They did not believe that a detailed explanation of the importance of participating in the clinical studies would be provided by their doctors (Lee 17). The above has recently been witnessed when there was a need to test the Covid-19 vaccine when test subjects were afraid of volunteering. Therefore, confidence should be created in the health sector to promote a healthy population.
Works Cited
Carnethon, Mercedes R., et al. “Cardiovascular Health in African Americans: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association.” Circulation, vol. 136, no. 21, 2017, 393-423. Web.
Lee, Marvin J. H., et al. “Overcoming the Legacy of Mistrust: African Americans’ Mistrust of Medical Profession.” Journal of Healthcare Ethics and Administration, vol. 4, no.1, 2018, pp. 16-40. Web.