The Personal side…
Katherine Esparza
COM360: Advanced COM360: Advanced Communications in Society (BCH1041A)
Instructor: Justine Lemos
November 8, 2010
The Personal side
My father-in-law Felipe was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States when he was nineteen years old. He is a very proud man; his family means the world to him. There are so very man sides to Felipe in which I will share with you. He is a hard worker, a family man and like several Hispanics, he has diabetes. The disease has taken a toll on Felipe in the recent years, a toll that is now affecting his family. He is a married father of three, in a single income household. From my perspective, he is a typical Mexican male. His view on healthcare would certainly be seen by some as strange or odd. However, within his culture his belief is thought to be very normal.
Diabetes in Hispanic Americans is a growing health challenge because of the increased prevalence of diabetes within this group, the greater number of risk factors for diabetes in Hispanics which includes an unhealthy diet, little exercise and poor awareness on the disease. Felipe explained that the thought of eating things that are nutritionally sound never play a part in what he does or does not eat. This helps to explain the growing number of Hispanics in the United States which are diagnosed with diabetes.
The classification of Hispanic includes Mexican or Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American, South American, Spaniard, and other Hispanic. Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose (Lawrence 2009). It results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Diabetes can lead to with serious complications and even premature death, people with diabetes can take measures to reduce the likelihood of this happening.
All populations have risk factors for diabetes. Risk factors seem to be more common among Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites. When I asked Felipe his family history of diabetes he was unaware of their health history. These risk factors include a family history of diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, obesity, and physical inactivity (Zueling 2007).
There can be several complications from diabetes that affect Hispanic Americans. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in older Hispanics. Type 2 diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin that is produced does not work properly. It can develop at any age, including during childhood, although it is usually diagnosed in people aged over 40 years. (O’Shea 2010.) This type of diabetes tends to run in families, but other factors add to the risk. Eye disease can lead to poor and even impaired vision and, ultimately, to blindness. Kidney disease can also be linked to diabetes. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in the United States (Almendarez 2004). These are just a few of the examples of what can happen if someone who is affected by diabetes does not monitor the disease. These are outcomes that I need to share with Felipe, for my own peace of mind and to help educate him.
I have also shared the fact that for Type 2 diabetes, the drug industry has now produced some two dozen types of medications, even as the disease has become about 50 percent more widespread in the United States than it was in 2001, with some 23.6 million diabetics, or nearly 8 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Hurley 2010.)
Hispanic Americans are the second largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States (Lawrence 2009). Lawrence also states that by the year 2050, it is estimated that Hispanics will grown to 97 million and will make up 25 percent of the U.S. population.
Felipe does not monitor his diabetes nor does he see a family doctor on a regular basis. In the Hispanic community and especially in the Mexican community, individuals may not seek professional help until they are very sick. Hispanic cultures view illnesses, treatments, and foods as having "hot" or "cold" properties. Some consider health as the product of balance among four body humors (blood and yellow bile are "hot"; phlegm and black bile are "cold"). One would balance a hot illness with cold medications and foods, etc. This might result in not following a doctor’s advice to drink lots of fluids for a common cold, if one believes drinks add more coldness to body. Instead, hot liquids (teas, soups, broth) could be recommended.
A few weekends ago I had the chance to sit down and visit with Felipe; I could tell that he was not looking the same. In the three years that I have known him, his health has taken a toll on his appearance. He appears tired, quiet and sometimes even weak. I asked Felipe when he was going to the doctor. He was very quick to explain that he would not be visiting the doctor anytime soon. I do have to admit that I was caught off guard. I am Caucasian, I grew up in a family where if you were sick or did not feel good, you went to the doctor. There was never a question as to if you do or do not go. May be there is a deeper issue with Felipe and his feelings on doctors. It was not a topic I was going to push. I pointed out to Felipe that I would go with him to the doctor, I explained that I would even call and set the appointment and take a day off work. He appreciated by kindness, however still declined.
Respect can be tested at times; it can be hard to stay quiet when the statics are astounding. Mexican Americans are one of the fattest groups in what is one of the fattest nations on earth. Three out of four Mexican American adults (aged >20 years) were either overweight or obese at the end of the 20th century (Flagal 2007). Obesity is just one of the major risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Many ethnic groups in the United States have high rates of obesity. Exercise in the Hispanic culture is not stressed to the younger generations. Felipe, my father-in-law is active, his job requires physical labor such has lifting and moving heavy materials. However he does not participate and any sort of exercise outside of his job/work responsibilities.
“Más que comida, es vida provides new tools to Hispanics to prepare traditional foods in a more healthy way. A few simple adjustments can make these dishes healthier and lower in fat and calories,” said Betsy Rodríguez, public health advisor of the National Diabetes Education Program′s Hispanic/Latino Work Group (Zuellig).
Más que comida, es vida features materials written in English and Spanish, including a recipe booklet called Ricas recetas para personas con diabetes y sus familiares that offers food ideas specifically designed for the Hispanic. Among the delicious and healthy recipes ola), beef or cow included in the booklet are: Spanish omelet (tortilla Espan), turkey stew (carne guisada de res o pavo), Caribbean o), two cheese pizza (pizza de dos quesos), and red snapper (pargo rojo cariben) and avocado tacos (tacos de aguacate)(Almendarez 2004). I shared this information with my father-in-law, he simply smiled. He explained that he eats the foods that he grew up eating and he eats what he enjoys. He does not plan on changing his diet.
More programs along with raising awareness within the culture will not help to stop diabetes. More needs to be done increase awareness to not only Hispanics, but the entire population. One cannot expect a culture to change overnight. Everything counts, that is what really needs to be stressed. It will help those who are infected to understand ways to control diabetes and to live a happy fulfilling life.
References
Almendarez Isabel S, Michael Boysun, & Kathleen Clark. (2004). Thunder and Lightning and Rain: A Latino/Hispanic Diabetes Media Awareness Campaign. Family and Community Health, 27(2), 114-122. Retrieved November 2, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 595010611).
Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2000. JAMA. 2002;288:1723–1727.
Hurley, Dan. (2010, July 20). Steps Forward, and Backward, in Treating Diabetes :[Science Desk]. New York Times (Late Edition (east Coast)), p. D.5. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from Banking Information Source.
Lawrence, J., Mayer,Davis, E., Reynolds, K., Beyer, J., Pettitt, D., D'Agostino, R., Marcovina, S., Imperatore, G., & Hamman, R.. (2009). Diabetes in Hispanic American Youth. Diabetes Care: Supplement 2: 2009 American Diabetes Association®, 32, S123-S132
Zuellig, Alissa. (2007, February). An Ounce of Prevention. Hispanic, 20(2), 30. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1209193571).
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