3/30/10

Minority Health

Black Americans have more problems with disease than do other ethnic groups.  The problems include both prevalence of certain medical conditions and with diagnosis and treatment. 

A number of diseases affect black Americans more than the majority population.  Diseases such as obesity, hypertension, coronary vascular disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer are more prevalent in minorities, says Dr. Wesley McNeese, associate professor of internal medicine at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.

SOUND BITE: TR 2 (1:17 – 1:32)  “. . . the three diseases are very much inter-related, so if you have a higher incidence of one, you probably have a higher incidence of the other. Diabetes is not just a disease of glucose metabolism or lack of insulin, but when you get to the chronic stages, it is more of a disease of the small vessels of the body.”

Dr. McNeese says “African Americans” or blacks have higher incidences of certain cancers including prostate cancer and breast cancer.  And the cancers are generally discovered in a more advanced stage in minorities.  In addition, Dr. McNeese says minorities are subject to health disparities.

SOUND BITE:  TR 3 (2:00 – 2:32)  “Access to health care is a common complaint, I hear it all the time in the minority community.  They either do not have a doctor or cannot get to the doctor they have.  Many people from under represented minority backgrounds don’t make as much money on average as rest of the population and so they have difficulty buying insurance . . .”

Dr. McNeese encourages black Americans to be more proactive in their health care.  He says they need to see their primary care physician on a regular basis and take advantage of various health screenings offered in their communities.
This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.