Full Description
Empower patients with culture-specific strategies for promoting health, treating disease, and preventing violence!Current reports show that Black Americans have the highest death rate of all racial and ethnic groups. They suffer disproportionately from a number of fatal diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers. Moreover, violence takes far too high a toll, especially among young Black men. Clearly a different approach to health education and promotion is needed to end this tragic waste of valuable human lives. Health Care in the Black Community: Empowerment, Knowledge, Skills, and Collectivism proposes an innovative model for health professionals working in the Black community.Traditional Western medicine focuses on sickness, the isolated individual, and the material world. However, the Afrocentric values of many Black people emphasize wellness, the community, and the spiritual world. By basing health care approaches on the community's positive values of holistic healing and mutual assistance, Health Care in the Black Community suggests practical, effective strategies for promoting physical and emotional wellness. This comprehensive and informative book offers a solid intellectual framework as well as practical advice. Health Care in the Black Community:
identifies deeply held African-American cultural traditions and attitudes
offers specific suggestions for combining health care priorities with respect for cultural concerns
shows how to gain compliance by involving patients in their own care and drawing on community strengths
discusses the impact of specific problems such as low self-esteem, infertility, HIV/AIDS, and violence on Black families
develops strategies for preventing family violence by helping family members define and identify emotions
shares programs and ideas for enhancing the physical and mental health of elderly Black people
identifies ways to overcome the drawbacks of early parenthood
Health Care in the Black Community offers health care professionals-- policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and educators in the fields of social work, health care, and cultural studies--successful methods, models, and suggestions to help improve health care in Black communities.
Contents
Contents
About the Editors
Contributors
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I. Health Care, Knowledge Building, and Consciousness Raising from an Empowerment Perspective: Issues & Prospects
Chapter 1. An Empowerment and Health Prevention Framework for Understanding and Transforming the Health Care Outcomes of African Americans
Health Status of Blacks
The Proposed Framework
Community-Building Initiatives
Conclusion
Part II. Skill Development and Health Care Issues in the Black Community: Empowerment Opportunities
Chapter 2. Strengthening Black Families by Building Social Competence
Historical Influences
The Adequacy Model: One Approach to Competence Development
Summary and Conclusion
Chapter 3. Copology: A Contemporary Model Useful for Coping with Violence and the Related Stress in Black Families
Introduction
An Overview of Black Family Violence
Traditional Helping Approaches Available to Black Families
Copology: A Paradigm Shift in Addressing the Issue of Violence in Black Families
Summary
Conclusion
Chapter 4. Early Parenthood Among African Americans: Support and Personal Growth Strategies
Introduction: Current Status of Early Pregnancy and Parenthood
Consequences/Barriers of Early Parenthood
Summary and Conclusion
Chapter 5. Promoting Health Prevention Programs and Medical Compliance: An Expanded Conceptual Model
Overview of the Compliance Problem
Are We Missing the Mark?
A Conceptual Model to Increase Medical Compliance and promote Health Prevention Programs
Summary and Conclusion
Chapter 6. The Impact of Infertility in the Black Community
Introduction
Epidemiology
Etiology
Evaluation
Female Factors
Male Factors
Other Factors
Conclusion
Chapter 7. The Health Care Needs of the Black Elderly: From Well to Frail
Introduction
Chronic Health Profile of Black American Elders
Collectivism and Black Health Care Practices
Overview of Interventions with the Elderly
Gerontological Social Work Interventive Roles
Barriers
Conclusion
Part III. Self-Healing, Collectivism, and Social Action in the Black Community: Formal and Informal Helping
Chapter 8. African-Centered Reality Therapy: Intervention and Prevention
Introduction
Purpose
Choice Theory and African-Centered Reality Therapy
Conclusion
Chapter 9. Reclaiming the Inner Strength: An Expanded Perspective for Working with Inner City Families
Philosophical and Practice Experiences
Holistic Healing As a Theoretical Construct
Conclusion
Chapter 10. Black Women and HIV/AIDS: Culturally Sensitive Family Health Care
Health Care Needs of African-American Women with HIV/AIDS
Family and Gender Stressors and Supports
ACTP: A Culturally Sensitive Approach to Working with HIV-Positive African-American Women
Conclusion
Chapter 11. The Black Church Response to the Mental Health Needs of the Elderly
History of the African-American Church
The Role of the Church in African-American Culture
Conclusion
Chapter 12. Augmenting Traditional Health Care Through Mutual Assistance Groups for Families
Introduction
What Is a Mutual Assistance Group?
Methods
Results
Summary
Conclusion
Chapter 13. African-Centered Community Building: Implications for Political Action and System Change
Community Practice Approaches and Health Promotion
An African-Centered Community-Building Framework
An Afrocentric Community-Building Health Promotion Example
Implications for Future Practice with This Framework
Conclusion
Part IV. Epilogue
Chapter 14. A View Toward the Future: Implications for Empowerment Practice, Research, and Policy Development in the Black Community
Potential Opportunities and Ris
