414 CA3. Socio-cultural, Economic and Racial Factors Increasing Exposure to Diabetes.

,
414 CA3
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Socio-cultural, Economic and Racial Factors Increasing Exposure to Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the chronic diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. The ever-increasing prevalence and incidence of diabetes are worrying due to its implications on disease burden, morbidities, and moralities. The film called Unnatural Causes unravels the root causes of diabetes and contextualizes how the emergence of diabetes is embedded in culture, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds. The film narrates the story of the Pima and Tohono O’odham Indians, who are minority communities of southern Arizona who are experiencing the highest rates of Type II diabetes globally, which was non-existent a century ago. The environmental changes such as diversionary of rivers led to poverty and dependence, which bred hopelessness, followed by diabetes. Following decades of medical interventions to tame diabetes, little has been achieved as diabetes continues to cause more damage, but there is a sense of optimism that community empowerment, alongside sustainable and culturally suitable development, can reinstall hope and health.
In the film, the intricate and intertwining socio-cultural and economic variables predict behavioral health patterns that increase the risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes. The socio-cultural and becoming factors appear to have a significant impact on the prevalence of diabetes. The adverse effects of diabetes are disproportionately bored by minority races and communities such as Latinos and African Americans. The residential areas or neighborhoods seem to be critical predictors of diabetes. For instance, Latinos and Southeast Asians, including Gwai Boonkeut, moved to neglected urban neighborhoods such as Richmond, CA. There was a Laotian refugee who moved to Richmond and suffered a heart attack at age 49, and the chronic stress of daily life greatly affected his family. Equally, African Americans appear to inhabit segregated neighborhoods where there is insufficient access to jobs, fresh foods, safe parks, and affordable and quality housing
Social-cultural factors have far-reaching implications when it comes to the prevalence of diabetes and associated complications in the U.S. The racial and ethnic minorities experience the heaviest toll of diabetes due to suboptimal care leading to adverse patient-related diabetes outcomes when compared to the mainstream population. It is critical to understanding the socio-cultural and economic background so that an effective approach to managing diabetes, especially, amongst the minority groups, can be initiated. Diabetes management approaches, including prevention, are extensive and take various factors into considerations. These variables include acculturation, genetic roots, health providers’ cultural awareness, and sensitivity, depression, stress, diab...