Abstract
Research shows that health outcomes are influenced by race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education and literacy levels, and the physical environment (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014). The health statuses of minority groups, such as African Americans, are adversely impacted by inequality (Randall, 2009). In Kalamazoo, Michigan, the leading cause of death for all residents in Kalamazoo County was cancer, where black individuals have the highest death rate among any other racial or ethnic group. That African Americans comprise less than 11% of the population in Kalamazoo County thus suggests that African Americans are disproportionately impacted by cancer compared to other races or ethnicities (Wendt et al., 2010). In this paper, the Socioecological Model of Health, as described by McLeroy, Bibeau, Steckler, and Glanz (1988), will be used to analyze the complex relationships between health behavior and socioecological factors of cancer rates among African Americans. Additionally, cancer health disparities will be compared to the inequalities that exist in Kalamazoo. Lastly, evidence-based recommendations for public health interventions will be provided to address these health disparities.
Recommended Citation
Spitzley, Seth M.
(2019)
"Cancer Health Disparities Among African Americans: A Socioecological Approach,"
The Hilltop Review: Vol. 12:
Iss.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/hilltopreview/vol12/iss1/6
Included in
Community-Based Learning Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Services Research Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Other Public Health Commons, Other Sociology Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons
