Health issues of emerging populations differ from those of White non-Hispanic Americans in a variety of ways. Moreover, prevalent health-related problems differ among emerging populations. Hispanic people in the US account for over 16% of the US population (Edelman et al., 2014). The major factors that affect the health of this population are language and cultural barriers, lack of access to preventive care, and lack of health insurance (Edelman et al., 2014). The most prevalent conditions among the representatives of the population are heart disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, stroke, and diabetes. In particular, Hispanics are two times more likely to have diabetes than their White counterparts (Edelman et al., 2014). At the same time, even though cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading causes of death among Latinos, the prevalence of these diseases is lower than that of the general population (Edelman et al., 2014). While Hispanics have comparable problems with accessing healthcare services with poor people and other ethnic minorities, the lack of diversity in healthcare leadership and lack of interpreters add to the current challenges of providing culture-sensitive care (Edelman et al., 2014).
Unlike in the case of Hispanics, poverty is the most impactful factor that affects the health of African Americans (Edelman et al., 2014). As a result of poverty, maternal and infant mortalities are the highest among Blacks (Edelman et al., 2014). Unlike Hispanics, African American children often experience malnutrition, anemia, and lead poisoning (Edelman et al., 2014). African American families living below the poverty line are often forced to live in unhygienic houses in socially depressed neighborhoods, which negatively affects their health status (Edelman et al., 2014). At the same time, African Americans are more likely to die for heart disease and cancer than Latinos (Edelman et al., 2014). It should also be mentioned that African Americans are not affected by the need for interpreters (Edelman et al., 2014).
Reference
Edelman, C., Mandle, C., & Kudzma, E. (2014). Health promotion throughout the life (8th ed.). Mosby.