POU Weekly Health Thread: Are We Taking Care Of Ourselves?

dannie22 posted this comment in the Tuesday Afternoon Thread:

ATTN BLACK PEOPLE!! Imma need for everyone to get their health in check because what happened tonight should not have happened. One of my young black female co-workers told me she had been having pains and that her feet and hands were tingling. I asked her if she had any health issues I should know about. She replied no. I told her friend to have her boyfriend to come and take her to the ER. While she and i are dialoguing she becomes non-reponsive and starts breathing heavy. I scream, “call 911!!’” And do all I can to keep her alert, awake. It was then her friend, the other co-worker tells me she might have diabetes and asthma!! She’s only 22!

Imma need for all you folks out there who are reading this to go get a health check-up and if you are diagnosed with a disease, PLEASE TAKE YOUR MEDICATION!! And if a health care worker asks you if you have any health issues PLEASE TELL THE HEALTH CARE WORKER WHAT THEY ARE!!

Also, young black people…why do so many of you have diabetes? Two weeks ago, another young black 22 year old co-worker had to to ER from work because she has diabetes. Why arent we taking care of ourselves?

A few disturbing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control:

Health Disparities – Examples

African American women and men 45-74 years of age in 2006 had the largest death rates from heart disease and stroke compared with the same age women and men of other racial and ethnic populations.
From 2005-2008, people with the largest prevalence of hypertension were 65 years and older, African American adults, U.S.-born adults, adults with less than a college education, and those with public health insurance (64 years and younger), diabetes, obesity, or a disability compared with their counterparts.
Among many sex-age groups, the prevalence of obesity from 2005-2008 was lower among White Americans than among African Americans or Mexican Americans. Among females aged 20-39 years, the prevalence of obesity was largest among African Americans.
Infants of African American women in 2006 had death rates twice as large as infants of White American women.
Adolescent and adult African Americans ages 15-59 years in 2007 had the largest death rates from homicide, as compared with other racial and ethnic populations of the same ages.
HIV infection rate among African Americans in 2008 was the largest rate compared with those of other racial and ethnic populations.
Hispanic American and African American adults aged 18-64 years had substantially larger percentages of uninsured populations compared with Asian/Pacific Islander and White Americans.
Colorectal screening obtained in 2008 by African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indian/Alaska Natives was lower than screening obtained by White Americans.
During the 2009–10 influenza season, lower influenza vaccination coverage was observed among African American and Hispanic American adults than among White adults.
In 2009, high school completion among African American adults was the second lowest (second to completion among Hispanic adults and similar to the completion among American Indian/Alaska Native adults).
In 2009, the percentage of African American adults living in poverty was among the largest compared with other racial/ethnic populations (similar to percentages among American Indians/Alaska Natives and Hispanic Americans).
In 2009, African American adults more often lived in inadequate and unhealthy housing than White adults. The percentage of African American adults living in inadequate housing was similar to percentages among American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic adults. These populations had the largest percentages of adults living in inadequate housing.