Note how the headline writer emphasizes'health care' - dr
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http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/living/11399791.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp
Health problems worse for minorities
A state study suggests Kansas needs to focus its efforts helping minorities
get health care and insurance.
Associated Press
LAWRENCE - Minorities in Kansas are more likely to develop serious health
problems and less likely to have insurance that pays for them, according to
a state report.
The report, issued Wednesday at the state's first Minority Health
Conference, also found that African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans
and American Indians are less likely to engage in preventive health habits.
It blames language barriers, discrimination, poverty and educational flaws
for the disparities.
"They're dying in their 50s and 60s, not in their 70s, 80s and 90s," said
Kim Kimminau, the study's lead researcher, a senior vice president at the
Kansas Health Institute, which conducted the report for the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment.
The study found that the AIDS rate for black Kansans is double that of
white residents, and black people are 50 percent more likely to develop
lung or prostate cancer. Black newborns account for 16 percent of infant
deaths and 13 percent of low birth weight babies -- while making up only 7
percent of the state's births.
And while 90 percent of Kansans have health insurance, that number drops to
75 percent for Hispanics -- who also have the highest rates for teen
pregnancy, the lowest rates for prenatal care and the highest rate of
alcohol abuse among middle school students.
Hispanics are the state's largest minority group, making up 7 percent of
the population, and many struggle with English.
"I speak a little English, but not enough," said Martha Tabares, who was
being treated for a cough Wednesday at the Swope Health Services Clinic in
Kansas City, Kan. "It's hard. It makes you think about not going when you
are sick."
Tabares is also one of the 25 percent of Hispanics without health
insurance.
"When they are sick, there aren't too many clinics or doctors for us," she
said. "Where else can we go?"
Researchers also found that American Indians are most likely to die early
from diabetes and that Kansans of Asian and Pacific island descent tend to
be reluctant to undergo certain health screening tests.
"These are Kansans," Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said in the conference's
keynote address. "These are our co-workers. These are our neighbors. These
are our friends.... We are failing too many of our citizens."
The study, conducted over four years, recommends that the state form a
minority health office, as all but five states have, to monitor programs,
set goals and manage funds set aside for minority health programs.
"It's not enough to have a comprehensive statewide program for cancer or
diabetes," Kimminau said. "We need to look at focusing targeted, effective
interventions for populations in need."
Rod Bremby, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment,
said the research project showed how other issues affect health care.
"We need to understand how interrelated the issues are," Bremby said. "The
dynamics are very fluid. We're talking about social determinants in terms
of health disparities. We're talking about how education relates. We're
talking about housing, education, employment, crime. Those impact health to
a much greater extent than we might imagine."
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