Population identification and the rationale
During this course, I would like to study the Hispanic population in the USA. This group is targeted as it is one of the largest national groups in the USA that currently comprises more than 55 million people according to the official data (Hispanic Americans by the numbers, 2014). Statistics show that the number of U.S.-born Hispanics keeps growing; thus it currently prevails that of the foreign-born (Stepler & Brown, 2016).
Therefore, immigration is no more the main source of the Hispanic population growth. One of the key rationales for targeting this population resides in the fact that it can be referred to as the risk group. Hence, in 2014, it was reported that 23.5% of Hispanics in the USA live below the poverty line, and 24.3% of Hispanic Americans lack health insurances (Hispanic Americans by the numbers, 2014).
The inclusion criteria
The main inclusion criteria are age and nationality. Therefore, it is assumed rational to study the population aged 25 years old and above as this population is most available for potential surveys and questionnaires. Moreover, the study must examine the adults that are already incorporated in the social environment. The nationality factor is likewise important. Thus, Hispanic Americans comprise different national groups such as Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. All these groups meet the set inclusion criteria. It should also be pointed out that Hispanics are commonly united with Latinos in statistical reports. As long as the difference is insignificant, the terms will be used interchangeably, and both groups will be studied in this research.
The exclusion criteria
There is only one exclusion criterion set for this research. The foreign-born Hispanics will not be examined in the framework of the study. Hence, the proposed research targets to examine the population that is part of the U.S. environment. Examining the foreign-born Hispanics would imply determining the length of their stay in the country and the extent of their integration. It is highly problematic to measure these variables; thus, this group is excluded from the research.
The attributes
There is a series of attributes associated with the target population that needs to be considered. First of all, the major part of the Hispanic population lives in California. Hence, this state should be examined most carefully. Secondly, most of the Hispanic Americans speak English (Stepler & Brown, 2016). Taking into account the fact that one of the exclusion criteria is a foreign birth, it can be assumed that all the representatives of the target group speak English. Finally, the Hispanic population is a growing population with a 2.1% rate of the population increase (Hispanic Americans by the numbers, 2014). Therefore, it is particularly important to study this group as its size will potentially enlarge.
The risk factors
From the health-related perspective, the target population is exposed to a series of risks. Thus, statistics reveal that Hispanic Americans show a 50% higher diabetes-caused death rate than the whites. They also experience more problems with high blood pressure due to the generally poor methods of control. Their obesity risk rate is 23% higher than that among the whites. Moreover, as long as the study targets the U.S.-born Hispanic Americans, it is critical to consider the risks associated with this particular group. Hence, it is reported that U.S.-born Hispanic Americans are more exposed to cancer than the foreign-born Hispanics (CDC, 2015).
Reference List
CDC. (2015). Hispanic Health. Web.
Hispanic Americans by the numbers. (2014). Web.
Stepler, R., & Brown, A. (2016). Statistical portrait of Hispanics in the United States. Web.