Description of Community
- El Paso, Texas; on the border with Mexico
- Approximately 680000 population (El Paso, TX, n. d.)
- 82% is the Hispanic/Latino population (Quick facts: El Paso City, n. d.)
- Median age of 33 (El Paso, TX, n. d.)
The Hispanic community is an ethnic group residing in El Paso, Texas, on the border with Mexico. The community is dominant in the city as of the approximately 680,000 population, about 82% of Hispanic (El Paso, TX, n. d.). The average age of the population is 33 years, which means that the population is getting younger (El Paso, TX, n. d.). Thus, the population of El Paso is mainly represented by Hispanics who represent the majority of the population. Since the population is constantly expanding due to childbirth and immigration, it is difficult to capture the associated demographic indicators.
- The poverty rate of 20% (El Paso, TX, n. d.)
- Healthcare, education, and retail trade
- 45000$ of median household income (El Paso, TX, n. d.)
- 77% obtained high-school education (Education, n. d.)
- 23% higher education degree (Education, n. d.)
The economic and educational situation of the community in El Paso is improving every year. The poverty rate in El Paso is around 20%, the most common areas of employment are Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, and Retail Trade (El Paso, TX, n. d.). The median household income is about 45000$, which is growing every year (El Paso, TX, n. d.). About 77% of the city’s population have a high school education; and approximately 23% have a higher education degree (Education, n. d.). As a dominant ethnic group, the Hispanic people in El Paso receive the majority of their degrees compared to other groups.
- Predominantly Catholic (Jurkowski, Kurlanska & Ramos, 2010)
- High availability of spiritual resources (Jurkowski, Kurlanska & Ramos, 2010)
- Fatalism is a part of cultural beliefs (Jurkowski, Kurlanska & Ramos, 2010)
- Value family and community needs over individual ones; bilingual communication (City of El Paso Department, 2013)
Due to the community’s rich cultural and historical background, religion is widespread and has an impact on perceptions of health and healthcare. The population is predominantly Catholic and has wide access to religious resources such as churches and religious communities (Jurkowski, Kurlanska & Ramos, 2010). Fatalism is a significant part of the culture, manifested in the frequent reluctance to seek professional help. They also often resort to self-medication methods before seeking medical attention (Jurkowski, Kurlanska & Ramos, 2010). Community members value the public rather than personal good; a major part of the bilingual population (City of El Paso Department, 2013). Religious, cultural and social aspects form significant characteristics of Hispanic perception of health and medicine.
- High blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, heart attack/stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, hepatitis, emphysema, tuberculosis, HIV (Cione et al., 2020)
- Immunization rates are 59-72% in 1996-2000 (Texas immunization survey, n. d.)
- 144 healthcare providers per 100000 people in 2019 (Physician Rate, n.d.)
The problem of obesity is widespread in the community, which leads to the development of various diseases. The most common of these are High blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, heart attack/stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, hepatitis, emphysema, tuberculosis, and HIV (Cione et al., 2020). The level of immunization of the population is at a rather low level, which contributes to the spread of infectious diseases (Texas immunization survey, n. d.). On average, there are 144 health workers per 100,000 people, which is quite low (Physician Rate, n.d.). Thus, the situation with health and healthcare in the community is rather complicated, primarily due to the diverse composition of the population.
Summary of Community Assessment
- Clinical trials, innovation fund and healthcare asset mapping (King, 2017)
- The Cardwell Collaborative opened in 2016 (King, 2017)
- Extensive support by the Borderplex Alliance
- The Healthcare Foundation initiatives and programs (Making a Healthy Difference, n. d.)
- Around $200 million dollars in grants for organizations across the Borderplex (Making a Healthy Difference, n. d.)
There are currently several non-profit organizations in El Paso sponsoring various healthcare programs. The Medical Center of the Americas Foundation is currently working on a number of clinical trials, innovation funds and healthcare asset mapping (King, 2017). Their main focus is “cultivating the El Paso region’s healthcare and biomedical manufacturing industries” (King, 2017). The main focus of the Healthcare Foundation’s initiatives is healthy eating and increasing activity, tobacco and alcohol prevention, mental and emotional health, and programs for children (Making a Healthy Difference, n. d.). The community donated nearly $ 200 million to diverse healthcare organizations across the Borderplex (Making a Healthy Difference, n. d.). Thus, various organizations are working both to improve the health of the population and to develop the healthcare system in El Paso.
- The University of Texas at El Paso
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- City of El Paso Department of Public Health
- Medicaid Waiver and Immunization Departments
- Various scientific and medical departments
At the moment, many partnership programs are also being developed to improve the health of the population. Initiatives include expanding preventive medicine to the poorest households in El Paso. Programs include vaccinations, cancer screening, dental check-ups, weight, glucose and blood pressure measurements, adolescent health surveillance, and health education (Medicaid Waiver, n. d.). Research and development of programs are carried out in partnership with The University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. As well as the City of El Paso Department of Public Health and Medicaid Waiver and Immunization Departments (Medicaid Waiver, n. d.). Various scientific and medical departments are also involved in the development of initiatives.
Interview with Healthcare Provider
- What diseases are common among the population at the moment?
- What preventive measures does the health department provide?
- How has the situation with access to health care and health education changed in recent years?
- What programs and initiatives are currently in place to improve the health of the population?
- What non-profit organizations are involved in the development of programs and initiatives?
- What are the main obstacles to promoting health programs?
- How do you assess the results of the implementation of the programs?
Obstacles to Health Promotion
- Low educational level prevents health education
- Low activity promotes common diseases
- Widespread obesity is the major issue
- Many poor households with lack access to healthcare
- Insufficient number of healthcare providers
- Cultural features
One of the reasons for the development of the healthcare system and related programs is the low level of education which does not allow the population to access sufficient information about healthcare. Moreover, the dietary habits of community members and low activity levels contribute to the spread of chronic diseases, especially in children, making preventive measures difficult. Many El Paso households are also in poor economic conditions and have limited access to a healthcare professional. Moreover, Hispanic culture includes a distrust of traditional methods of treatment. The city’s border location also encourages immigration, which makes it difficult to track the population and monitor its health.
Opportunities for Health Promotion
- Development of public health programs
- Cooperation with institutes, scientific and medical departments
- The activity of non-profit organizations
- Prevention of common diseases among children
Among the opportunities for the development of initiatives and programs to improve the level of public health, one can highlight, first of all, the activity of the healthcare department. Collaboration with institutes and scientific and medical departments allows the development of relevant programs to help the poorest households. The introduction of measures to prevent cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and childhood diseases in the long term can have a positive impact on the general health of the population. There are also several non-profit organizations currently operating and supported by the Borderplex Alliance to help fund programs and develop the healthcare system.
Key Findings
- Common diseases associated with obesity
- Low level of health education
- Limited access to healthcare
- Development of programs for the prevention of common diseases
The Hispanic community in El Paso is a dominant group, so it is important to monitor their health. Members of the community suffer from a number of common obesity-related diseases resulting from inadequate diet and low physical activity. Low levels of health education and limited access to health workers will make it difficult to implement preventive measures. In recent years, the health department and non-profit organizations have been developing both initiatives to improve the health of the population and to improve the healthcare system in the city. Thus, health workers in El Paso are currently trying to pay increased attention to the education of the population and the introduction of preventive measures.
References
Cione, C., Castañeda, E., Ferdinando, Prince, J. A., Jackson, D., Vetter, E., & McCarthy, S. (2020). COVID-19 Susceptibility among Latin People in El Paso, TX. SSRN Electronic Journal.
City of El Paso Department of Public Health. (2013). Health promotion, education, and communications manual.
Education. (n. d.). The city of El Paso. Web.
El Paso, TX. (n. d.). Data USA. Web.
Jurkowski, J., Kurlanska, C., & Ramos, B. (2010). Latino women’s spiritual beliefs related to health. American Journal of Health Promotion, 25(1), 19-25.
King, S. (2017). El Paso’s evolving healthcare ecosystem. Site Selection Magazine.
Making a healthy difference. (n. d.). Paso del Nord Health Foundation. Web.
Medical Waiver. (n. d.). The city of El Paso. Web.
Physician Rate. (n. d.). Healthy Paso Del Norte.
Quick facts: El Paso City, Texas; El Paso County, Texas. (n. d.). Census. Web.
Texas immunization survey (TIS) – vaccination coverage levels. (n. d.). Texas Health and Human Services.