Issues Affecting Many Miamians
Every community is characterized by people from diverse cultural groups. I have been providing support to many underserved populations in Miami. In this community, I have observed that the major issues affecting different populations include obesity, tobacco use, homelessness, and alcoholism (Murcia & Lopez, 2016). My focus has been on these key problems to ensure more people in Miami lead quality lifestyles.
Comparing and Contrasting Hispanics and African Americans
Miami is one of the diverse communities in Florida. This is the case because it is characterized by different ethnic groups such as African Americans, Latinos (also known as Hispanics), Asian Americans, and white people (Murcia & Lopez, 2016). The two populations affected the most by the above issues include the Latinos and African Americans. These populations encounter similar situations in the community. The cultural groups are affected the most by obesity. Statistics indicate that “African Americans are 1.5 times as likely to be obese compared to white people” (Diller, 2015, p. 49). Latinos are also affected by obesity. This is the case because over 60 percent of the population is either obese or overweight. Affected individuals face discrimination, find it hard to get new jobs, and struggle with their daily activities. The Latinos have been embracing adequate measures to deal with the problem, unlike African Americans.
Homelessness is another problem affecting members of these cultural groups. Most of the affected individuals lack shelter, food, and clean water. Some die prematurely due to several opportunistic diseases. Studies have gone further to indicate that African Americans are affected the most by homelessness in Miami (Diller, 2015). Smoking and alcoholism have been observed to go hand in hand. Young people are widely affected by these malpractices. More African Americans are usually at risk of becoming smokers or alcoholics (Diller, 2015).
This analysis indicates clearly that these groups are more or less prone to these issues. They have increased the chances of becoming obese. However, the African American community appears to be greatly disadvantaged by homelessness and obesity. African Americans in Miami are usually reluctant to select appropriate lifestyle changes (Murcia & Lopez, 2016). The cultural attributes of the Latinos expose them to different conditions including obesity.
Refining my Practice to Meet Each Community’s Needs
The first important thing to note is that obesity, homelessness, smoking, and alcoholism are unique challenges that appear to affect the two communities. That being the case, a powerful health promotion strategy can be applied uniformly to meet the needs of these communities. This is the case because cohesion and collaboration are common practices in Miami. The use of powerful campaigns, provision of short-term accommodation, and empowerment of community members are some of the best practices that can support the needs of the two cultural groups (Murcia & Lopez, 2016).
However, the care plan can be redesigned to cater to the unique needs of each community. For instance, the inclusion of traditional approaches, herbalists, the involvement of family members, and focus on the dietary practices of the Latinos will result in culturally-competent support for members of the population. On the other hand, a personalized approach aimed at addressing the unique needs of every affected African American can deliver positive results. The cultural attributes, eating habits, and family relationships of the community can be analyzed to inform the healthcare delivery process (Diller, 2015). This knowledge will make it easier for me to update my care delivery plan for each group.
References
Diller, V. (2015). Cultural diversity: A primer for the human services. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
Murcia, S., & Lopez, L. (2016). The experience of nurses in care for culturally diverse families: A qualitative meta-synthesis. Rev. Latino-Am. Enfermagen, 24(1), 1-11. Web.