43
Black History health & wellness event aims to educate, close health care disparity
YOUNGSTOWN
Closing the health and medical disparity between blacks and other ethnic groups in the Mahoning Valley were primary goals of the Black History Month health and wellness event Saturday at the McGuffey Centre.
The event, free and open to the public, was designed to not only discuss the disparity between blacks and other ethnic groups, but to offer ways to close the gap, said Kim Hamilton, a member of the McGuffey Centre board of directors.
The focus was on education because some members of the black community aren’t aware of symptoms of chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and an unhealthy diet, that can lead to serious medical conditions such as stroke and diabetes, both of which are very high among blacks, Hamilton said.
Also, she said, there is a lack of trust of the medical community among blacks that may contribute to the disparity; but it goes beyond medicine.
“It is cultural mistrust that is part of our history,” she said.
Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death for all Americans, but blacks have almost twice the risk of first strokes compared with whites, and are twice as likely to die from a stroke, said Christine Snipes, a physical therapist at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital’s Stroke Center in Howland.
In addition, blacks tend to have strokes earlier in life and the prevalence of high blood pressure among blacks, a major risk factor for stroke, is the highest in the world, said Snipes, who also explained the role physical therapy plays in stroke victims regaining function.
Also, she said, while high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke, it is a modifiable risk factor, meaning it can be treated and controlled. Attendees could check their own blood pressure at Saturday’s event through free screenings.
Speakers included Hamilton, a registered nurse, who discussed coping with stress and anxiety; nutritionist Jane Ewing, who urged participants to adopt healthy eating habits; and Tanya Bell of Cleveland, who described her diabetes journey and living with kidney failure and dialysis.
Bell, who was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in her 20s, admitted she did not take the disease seriously. Her diabetes has evolved to Type I, her kidneys have ceased functioning and she does at-home dialysis.
Refusing to give in to the disease, Bell started a business, Butterfly Dreams, through which she helps people with chronic illness control their disease and live more-productive lives.
She says she also educates the medical community to look at the whole person and address their patients’ social as well as their medical needs.
Hamilton said black people’s perception of racism in the U.S. is a factor in chronic stress and negatively impacts the way blacks engage with health care providers.
She said it is important to hear people speak at the event who are successful in taking charge of their health care by recognizing symptoms of illnesses and advocating for themselves with their doctors.