Part A: What are some of the common health risk behaviors and diseases among Hispanics in the United States?
Part B: What are some of the behavior risk factors and common diseases that African Americans experience?
Submission Instructions:
- Your initial post should be at least 500 words, formatted, and cited in current APA style with support from at least 2 academic sources. with less than 20% AI detected through turnitin.
Part A — Hispanics/Latinos in the United States
Hispanic/Latino populations in the United States experience a distinct pattern of health risk behaviors and disease burden shaped by social determinants (insurance access, income, language barriers) as well as by acculturation over time. Common chronic conditions with elevated prevalence among Hispanics include type 2 diabetes and obesity; Hispanic adults are diagnosed with diabetes at higher rates than the overall U.S. adult population, and obesity prevalence among Hispanic adults is high. In addition, Hispanics experience higher rates of some infectious diseases (e.g., tuberculosis and certain sexually transmitted infections) and have higher uninsured rates, which reduce access to preventive care and timely disease management (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2024; CDC, 2024). Office of Minority Health+1
Behavioral risk factors that contribute to these outcomes include dietary changes associated with acculturation (increased consumption of energy-dense processed foods), physical inactivity, and in some subgroups tobacco use and alcohol use. Limited access to primary care and preventive services—exacerbated by higher uninsured rates among Hispanics—contributes to later diagnosis and poorer control of chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension, diabetes-related complications). Structural factors (poverty, occupational exposures, and language barriers) also increase vulnerability to both chronic and infectious disease. These patterns help explain disparities in diabetes prevalence and complications such as visual impairment and in some regions higher liver disease mortality linked to viral hepatitis and alcohol-related conditions (CDC; HHS Office of Minority Health). CDC+1
Part B — African Americans / Black Americans
African Americans in the United States face disproportionately high burdens of several chronic conditions and risk factors. Hypertension prevalence and poor blood pressure control are notably higher in Black adults compared with other racial/ethnic groups; hypertension contributes to elevated rates of stroke, heart disease, and end-organ damage in Black communities (CDC, 2024). Obesity prevalence—particularly among Black women—is also high, which interacts with social determinants to increase risks for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Mortality from heart disease and stroke remains higher for Black Americans in many settings, and disparities in control of risk factors (blood pressure, diabetes, lipids) are well documented. CDC+1
Behavioral and social risk factors include lower access to high-quality preventive care, higher levels of poverty, neighborhood disadvantage, food insecurity, and stressors related to structural racism—factors that shape diet, physical activity, and care-seeking patterns. Infectious-disease disparities are also important: HIV, certain STIs, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis continue to disproportionately affect Black communities because of structural barriers to prevention, testing, and treatment (CDC, 2024). Additionally, Black Americans show higher rates of some cancers (e.g., colorectal, lung, and breast cancer mortality) and are more likely to experience later-stage diagnoses and barriers to timely treatment. CDC+1
Synthesis and implications for practice and policy
Across both groups, social determinants of health—insurance status, poverty, housing, occupation, and systemic racism—are major drivers of the observed patterns; clinical risk-factor interventions (smoking cessation, blood pressure control, diabetes prevention programs) must be combined with policy and community-level strategies (expanded access to insurance and culturally tailored prevention programs, improved screening and linkage to care) to reduce disparities (Macias-Konstantopoulos et al., 2023; Sells et al., 2023). Targeted, culturally competent interventions that address language, trust, and access barriers have stronger potential to reduce morbidity and mortality than clinical-only approaches. PMC+1
References (APA 7th ed.)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). FastStats — Health of Hispanic or Latino population. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/hispanic-health.htm CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Health disparities in Black or African American people. https://www.cdc.gov/health-disparities-hiv-std-tb-hepatitis/populations/black-african-american.html CDC
Macias-Konstantopoulos, W. L., et al. (2023). Race, healthcare, and health disparities: A critical review. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science. Advance online publication. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10527840/ PMC
Sells, M. L., et al. (2023). Excess burden of poverty and hypertension, by race and ethnicity: Findings from a population study. Preventing Chronic Disease, 20, Article 23_0065. https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2023/23_0065.htm CDC
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Minority Health. (2024). Hispanic/Latino health. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/hispaniclatino-health Office of Minority H
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