Health Disparities Among Filipino Americans Essay

wellness DisparitiesFocus on the Filipino-Ameri locoweed Population in the USA As a Filipino-Ameri send packing nurse living in Los Angeles, California, this writer has been a beauty and an active participant in the multifactorial influences/aspects that affect the Filipino-Americans, in health and unhealthiness. Being a grandm new(prenominal) of wonderful grandkids has brought me further exposure to the betroth of elderly Filipino-Americans in the United States of America.The Institute of Medicines tale on Unequal Treatment Confronting Racial/Ethical Disparities in wellness C ar states that cultural bias is one contributor to racial and heathen minorities having higher rates of poor health outcomes than Whites in the case of disorder even when income, involution experimental condition and insurance c everyplaceage be controlled. A survey of current literature suggests that as a root, Filipino-Americans are relatively under-studied vis-a-vis health and health assist ance disparities in the United States.The literature that does cover the subject suggests that Filipino-Americans (as a group) do experience disparities in health and health wish wellfulness. Javier (2007) tell that on a national level, Filipino-Americans are the back up largest Asiatic/Pacific Islander (API) population. Within this population, Filipino-American youth and adolescents in the US show disparities compared to Anglo and different API groups in regard to gestational diabetes, rates of neonatal mortality and low birth weight, malnutrition in young children, obesity, physical inactivity and fitness, tuberculosis, dental caries and substance abuse.Within Los Angeles County, Bitler and Shi (2006) analyzed disparities across groups found on health insurance, health care use and health status. while they did not focus on Filipino-Americans as a discrete subpopulation, they noted that differences in the prevalence of chronic health conditions across different immigrant r acial and ethnic groups were reduced after controlling for such factors as family income, dinero worth and neighborhood characteristics.One possible conclusion is that in neighborhoods that are co-populated densely by both Latino and Filipino-American households with similar earnings and employment characteristics (such as in Historic Filipinotown), Filipino-Americans fare about the aforementioned(prenominal) as their Latino neighbors when it comes to chronic disease. This demonstrates that working class and lower income Filipino-American households in LA County suffer from health problems much than other API opulations in the County. Taken together, these studies tot support to the perception among Filipino-American community leaders in Los Angeles that (1) persistent disparities in health and health care do exist for Filipino-Americans relative to other groups and (2) Filipino-Americans are not adequately researched for ethnic- particular(prenominal) raceencies in health and health care access.A report published in November, 2007 by The Historic Filipinotown Health Network of Los Angeles, California analyzed responses from a series of focus groups and over 400 surveys administered to health care providers, youth, residents, seniors and workers in Historic Filipinotown in primeval Los Angeles. The study sought to understand how culturally-based experiences and perspectives of Filipino/Filipino Americans in primordial LA influence this populations health.The report examines the relationship mingled with cultural themes that came up in the survey and the actual health status and healthcare service use patterns of Filipino/Filipino Americans. Though specific to the Filipino community in Los Angeles, the findings are relevant for Filipino communities end-to-end the United States. From the report this writer has been able to collate substantial entropy for this paper on US health disparities steering on the aged(a) Filipino Americans. Elderly Filipino- Americans, like other ethnic minorities in the US, are not exempt from the disparities within the health care musical arrangement.Health care access, utilization and assimilation in the US health care spoken communication system can be very challenging particularly for the newly-arrived immigrants. They tend to rely on their families for support since the majority of them are not legal for government health care funds and social security benefits. In addition to fiscal constraints, lack of mobility or minimal English progression and tenacious adherence to their own Filipino cultural and health beliefs can create a barrier to health care utilization. Bahala na fundamentally means whatever will be, will be. As a panache of supporting good health and in responding to illness, Filipinos have this unusual readiness to accept things as they are. This position enables many Filipino-Americans to accept, and endure, great twinge including suffering from illness or injury. Hiya refers to a deep impulse to protect against a loss of face, especially if there are differences of opinion in a group on a sensitive matter. Such protection can be for ones own sake or for another(prenominal) person. One example is misunderstandings due to language barriers.Some patients may not express it openly, but feel shamed or embarrassed in front of health care providers when they cannot understand or be dumb properly. Further, older Filipino-American patients have difficulty in communicating effectively with health care providers. This can turn into an urgent problem if and when Filipino-Americans suffer from a high incidence of chronic and/or serious illness (such as diabetes or TB). Kapwa suggests togetherness and equality of status regardless of class or race. heathenish norms energize Filipinos to care for others in every sense, as fellow charitable beings.This type of relationship supports a structure of familism (tight-knit extended family structures). Caring for the heal th of each member within ones family or phylogenetic relation network is thus a top priority. The Filipino-American population has the highest percentage (27%) among Asian Americans of grandparents living with and caring for their grandchildren who are under 18 years of age. Conversely, there is a pickence among families to provide direct care to their aging parents at home, regardless of the sacrifices required, rather than moving them into a convalescent facility.In America, this same commitment is extended by Filipino-Americans beyond their kinship groups to neighbors, friends and even strangers. The impost of putting the group first and looking out for other group members has helped make Filipino-Americans have such a prominent presence as recognized professionals and workers in the U. S. healthcare sector. According to Periyakoil and Dela Cruz (2010), Filipino-Americans who have been in the U. S. A. for a long time are more acculturated to the American health system than tho se who recently migrated.The less acculturated immigrants adhere more to traditional systems of medicine and prefer indigenous healing practices, such as the use of complementary and substitute(a) medicine. Before seeking professional help, Filipino older adults tend to pluck their illnesses by self-monitoring of symptoms, ascertaining possible make ups, determining the severity and threat to functional capacity, and considering the financial and emotional burden to the family. Filipino older adults tend to cope with illness with the help of family and friends, and by faith in God.Most of these first- contemporaries immigrants initially bushel to traditional medicine and healing methods are passed on from one generation to another. Traditional medicine is regarded as a viable alternative to westbound medicine especially among the uninsured and undocumented. Such examples of cultural and health beliefs cause great concern since these older adults only seek medical care when thei r illness is already very serious or in an locomote stage missed opportunities for optimal treatment and care result.Thus, to promote stronger health outcomes for the Filipino-American population, knowledge of their cultural strengths and assets, as well as language and other difficulties as immigrant people is imperative. Policymakers should be engaged to take a more culturally informed and sensitized approach to health care reform, focusing particularly on reducing existing disparities among Filipino-Americans in the USA. References Ad Hoc Committee. (2005). social diversity and cultural competence.