Selecting the Aggregate
Location, Demographics
The selected aggregate is the Jewish community of Miami, Florida. This population has been growing rapidly for the past decade (Varn, 2014). Varn (2014) states that the Jewish population has increased by approximately 10% during the past three decades. The western part of the city was home to the vast majority of Jews in the middle of the 20th century, but as the community has become more diverse, its location has also extended.
As for ethnic diversity, the Jewish community of Miami includes people of European descent as well as Hispanic Jews coming from Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Venezuela, and other Latin American countries. The aggregate in question is the community of young Jewish adults living in downtown Miami. This population includes approximately 7,000 people.
History
The history of the Jewish population in Miami is remarkable. It dates back to the 16th century when the area was a Spanish colony where Jews could not settle according to the laws that existed in that period. Later the law was abandoned, and Jews started coming to the city. One of the most significant immigration waves was in the late 1930s and after the Second World War when Jewish people tried to escape from the Nazi and Fascist regimes as well as the aftermaths of the devastating war (Moore, 2013).
An interesting trend took place in the 1960-1970 when the Jewish population (mainly adults and older people) that resided in California and Florida started migrating to Miami where the crime rate was lower, and the standards of living were high especially as compared to such cities as Los Angeles.
This trend resulted in the development of the aging Jewish community in Miami. This population was also declining at the end of the 20th century as a low number of younger Jews settled in the city. The most recent trend is associated with the growth of the young adult population of Jews. As has been mentioned above, the community is constituted by immigrants from Latin and Central American countries as well as Europe.
Reasons to Choose
This trend is one of the reasons the aggregate was chosen for the project. The growing population of young Jewish adults is likely to change the city’s demographics. These people also have certain needs and peculiarities. It is clear that the community is growing, but it is likely to face numerous issues since the area may have limited resources. It is vital to understand whether the city (and its downtown) has the necessary facilities to ensure high living standards and proper health care opportunities for the population in question.
Another reason for choosing this aggregate is the lack of information concerning the needs and peculiarities of such a highly diverse community. As has been mentioned above, the young Jewish population is characterized by different cultural and ethnic backgrounds as people of Hispanic (mainly coming from Latin and Central America) and East European descent live in quite a small area. These people have different educational and socioeconomic backgrounds.
They also have different beliefs and values although they practice Judaism. Importantly, Orthodox Jews and more liberal younger population coexist. Therefore, healthcare professionals, as well as the entire healthcare system, should be prepared to meet the needs of the changing Jewish community of Miami.
Describing the Aggregate
As has been mentioned above, the population size of the aggregate has reached 7,000 people. As far as certain statistical data, it is necessary to note that the life expectancy for Jewish men is 81.1, and it is slightly higher for Jewish females (84.5) (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2015). The fertility rate is not very high as compared to other ethnic groups (1.5 child per adult person) (Markoe, 2015). The leading causes of death include cardiovascular disorders, and cancer (Benderly et al., 2017). The most significant health risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and so on (see Figure 1). Warsch et al. (2014) stress that approximately 20% of Jewish people are carriers of one of 11 genetic disorders common to this ethnic group.
It is necessary to note that health behaviors among the Jewish population are quite positive although some factors pose certain threats. For instance, it has been estimated that over 60% of Jewish males have ever been smokers, which increases their chance to develop cancer or hypertension (Benderly et al., 2017). Dietary habits of Jewish people are characterized by quite a significant intake of fats and carbohydrates. At that, the rate of people who have any leisure physical activity is only 49%. These cultural peculiarities are closely linked to health risks common for the population.
It is necessary to note that the city has various educational and healthcare facilities that can meet the needs of the community. For example, one of the potent healthcare organizations is Miami Jewish Health Systems.
However, as has been mentioned above, the growing population of young Jewish adults can feel the lack of access to high-quality healthcare services (Miami Jewish Health Systems, 2017). This problem is specifically apparent in the view of the aging population and the shortage of nursing professionals. One of the major concern is the lack of properly trained nurses who will be able to address the needs of the population.
A nurse working at a local hospital was interviewed. The major aim of the interview was to identify some demographic details and the level of knowledge regarding the peculiarities of the population as well as certain issues as seen by a healthcare professional. The interviewee was a Caucasian female (aged 43). It was important to choose a non-Jewish person as the number of Jewish nurses is likely to remain insignificant as compared to the number of Jewish patients. The interview questions included the following.
- What is the mean age of Jewish patients you provided care to?
- What are the top common health issues?
- What are the most common issues that occur when providing healthcare services?
- Do you think Jewish people have access to high-quality healthcare services? Why or why not?
- Do you feel there is a gap in your knowledge or skills preventing you from addressing the needs of the population? What are these gaps if any?
The interview results are consistent with the data obtained from the research, but the interviewee also provided some helpful insights. As for the mean age, it is reportedly 60 years old, which is consistent with the data concerning the prevalence of older adults in the community. At that, the nurse also notes that she notices the increase in the number of young adults. The major health issues are cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders.
Overweight people are also quite common among this population, as noted by the interviewee. The nursing professional states that she has quite a significant experience working with Jewish people, so she is aware of some cultural peculiarities.
When it comes to issues, the nurse states that it can be difficult to work with Orthodox Jews who follow traditions that are quite different from American norms. The nurse emphasizes that being a female make her working with Orthodox Jewish male patients rather difficult. Another issue is associated with dietary habits. This problem is especially apparent when working with older adults. At that, the interviewee stresses that such problems rarely occur when providing care to young Jewish adult patients.
Importantly, the nurse believes that the population in question has access to high-quality healthcare services as the majority of these people pertain to the middle class. Finally, the nursing professional notes that she feels there are certain gaps in her knowledge as young adults often have values, beliefs, and needs different from the ones their parents have. The nurse states that she would like to continue her research related to cultural peculiarities of the communities especially when it comes to patient education strategies.
In conclusion, it is possible to note that the aggregate in question have the necessary access to high-quality health care, but the situation is likely to change in the nearest future due to the growing population and shortage of nursing professionals. It is also clear that nurses need training associated with cultural peculiarities of the community that is becoming highly diverse. Nurses stick to the principles of EBP, but they may need help in acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills.
References
Benderly, M., Chetrit, A., Murad, H., Abu-Saad, K., Gillon-Keren, M., Rogowski, O., … Kalter-Leibovici, O. (2017). Cardiovascular health among two ethnic groups living in the same region: A population-based study. International Journal of Cardiology, 228, 23-30.
Central Bureau of Statistics. (2015). Life expectancy, by sex, religion and population group. Web.
Markoe, L. (2015). US Jewish numbers no longer declining, but demographic worries persist. The Washington Post. Web.
Miami Jewish Health Systems. (2017). Community health needs assessment. Web.
Moore, D. D. (2013). Jewish migration in postwar America: The case of Miami and Los Angeles. In J. S. Gurock (Ed.), American Jewish life, 1920-1990: American Jewish history (pp. 35-51). New York, NY: Routledge.
Varn, K. (2014). Miami Jewish population larger and more diverse than a decade ago, study shows. Miami Herald. Web.
Warsch, J., Warsch, S., Herman, E., Zakarin, L., Schneider, A., & Hoffman, J., … Barbouth, D. (2014). Knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to carrier screening for the Ashkenazi Jewish panel: A Florida experience. Journal of Community Genetics, 5(3), 223-231.