Culture and Diversity Understanding Disparities in Health...

Culture and Diversity: Understanding Disparities in Health Programs This essay reviews key concepts of culture and diversity in the context of their role in causing and/or making worse disparities in health programs. Key Points on Health Program Planning For individuals to be healthy requires the combination of varying levels of physical, mental and social well-being throughout a persons lifetime. Most people find that maintaining their health requires a certain amount of effort and intention. Health programs can help with this effort, but their effectiveness depends on how well health professionals make sure that an individuals attention and information convert to actions and behaviors that succeed (Issel, 2009). The World Health Organization (WHO) published a definition of health that is widely accepted and useful for health planning purposes. This definition defines health as more than just the absence of illness, but says instead that health requires the presence of well-being (as cited in Issel, 2009, p. 4). Health professionals, in working with this definition, must still come to an understanding about the scope and nature of health programs. Culture and diversity affect this shared understanding. President Bill Clinton contributed to reaching a shared understanding by putting ethnic diversity, race, and racism on the public agenda in the late 1990s (Issel, 2009). Discussions of public policy and health program planning have to consider diversity and the wayShow MoreRelatedAmerican-Indians and the United States Health System1556 Words   |  6 Pages American Indians and the United States Health System Introduction Though American Indians are enjoying an independent public health system with above $3 billion funds provided by Congress annually for delivering healthcare services to them, still figure and facts on health status of American Indians reveal that they are facing many difficulties and have to suffer from diverse type of illness and disease at a misappropriate level. Since long it was identified by medical communities that thereRead MoreThe Impact Of European Colonization On The Aboriginal People Of North America877 Words   |  4 Pagescreating cultural awareness, spatial diversity, accessible transportation, and social services, must be taken to decrease existing health disparities. 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