Ethnic Relations Examine the major health concerns for Asian and African descent individuals and communities in the UK. The discussion of health concerns

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Ethnic Relations

Examine the major health concerns for Asian and African descent individuals and communities in the UK.

The discussion of health concerns in relevance to those who are of African or Asian descent living in the UK is one with many underlying issues. There are many different perspectives people may take on the issue depending on their own experiences and to a degree their upbringing. For example somebody from a white middle-class background will have a different opinion on the issues regarding this subject then someone of Afro-Caribbean descent living in a working class area.

Research on the subject of health concerns for ethnic minorities in the UK is often flawed due to the fact that a variety of different ethnic groups may be classed under the same category. This problem was highlighted in the 1991 census which included questions on ethnic groups and respondents were asked to categorise themselves into eight different groupings or a final grouping of "other" in which they were asked to specify. The definitions of ethnicity were based on a mixture of terms such as skin colour, national origin, self-definition and religion all of which seemed important aspects of defining difference in modern Britain. However , many people opposed this. One objection suggests that categories such as "Indian" are oversimplified and contain a range of sub-cultures and other groupings in one single category.

A study conducted by 'The Bolton Drug Action Team' showed that there are a number of issues about staff competence and confidence in collecting ethnic monitoring data and the subsequent ability of agencies to analyse the data. This means that there are no clear mechanisms at the DAT level to monitor and evaluate work in relation to South Asian or African communities and it is therefore difficult to comprehensively assess the current level of support for these communities. The degree to which equal opportunities policies were understood and implemented within the drugs agencies was identified as a significant factor. In particular the research found that staff groups shared little or no ownership of the development of equality strategies within agencies and that there was a low level of awareness or knowledge about existing polices. often such policies are seen as little more than paper exercises, they are not subject to regular review and agencies are not required to demonstrate that they are implementing the policies effectively.

One area of concern which arises from this topic is that of the health beliefs held by various Ethnic groups and the impact of these beliefs upon their daily lives. Morgan (1996) emphasises a concern with these health beliefs by studying small samples of Afro-Caribbean patients suffering from 'hypertension', which is commonly known as high blood pressure. She studies the way these patients define and explain the condition and how consequences such as dietary and activity restrictions are interpreted. She noted that many of the views appear to be heavily influenced by people's origin in the Caribbean particularly concerning the use and dangers of certain foods and dietary advice from GP's. Morgan compares the views of Afro-Caribbean and white patients and notes that both groups regard stress as the major cause of their ill health.

The latest study from the Policy Studies Institute clearly states that members of ethnic minority groups, particularly, Pakistani and Bangladeshis, are 50% more likely to suffer from ill health than their white counterparts. With this in mind it is vital to understand cultural differences when studying health. Peoples meanings and beliefs can be better understood by listening to their own accounts on health (Nazroo, 2001). This is emphasised by several studies conducted to stress the importance of communication between professionals in the health services and the actual patient. The Race' and Public Policy Research Unit 1996 showed that the misunderstanding or lack of communication between doctors and patients of differing cultures is often used as an explanatory factor for poor health amongst minority groups. The misinterpretation of information received from doctors is largely evident amongst differing cultures due to the language barrier between them. For example the language barrier between doctor and patient applies if the patient is from a different culture and class.
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As previously stated , Morgan studied a small group of Afro-Caribbean and white patients diagnosed with hypertension and the meanings of this to the individual. The process of making sense of an illness and assigning personal meanings to it involves different sources of information and interpretation which may conflict with each or overlap (Nazroo, 2001). Common images and patterns of beliefs in society are conveyed by media and family and friends. An understanding of the meanings of medical conditions amongst differing groups is crucial in promoting communication between doctors and patients. Also ensuring that the information provided by ...

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