The Philadelphia Tribune and Independence Blue Cross have joined efforts to bring greater awareness to chronic health issues affecting the African American community in Philadelphia. From heart disease, obesity and diabetes, to the COVID-19 pandemic and maternal health, the Our Community. Our Health. campaign educates and empowers with accurate information and approachable solutions.
With the help of the many Our Community. Our Health. Ambassadors, we're working together to spread the word and get community members to act.
The African American community is facing significant health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. These conditions exist at alarming rates and impact daily quality of life and longevity. More alarming, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity tend to occur together, so individuals who develop one of these conditions often develop another. The good news is there are steps you can take to prevent and manage chronic conditions.
Heart disease. The leading cause of death in African Americans is heart disease. In fact, the rate of high blood pressure in African Americans is the highest in the world! High blood pressure can lead to a range of problems, including heart attack, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure. High blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease.
Diabetes. African Americans are much more likely to be diagnosed with — and die from — diabetes than their white counterparts. Individuals with diabetes can develop serious health complications, including cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, skin conditions, depression, and more. Diabetes is hereditary, so those with a family history of the condition need to be more careful and mindful about prevention.
Obesity. Obesity is calculated using body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight. People are considered obese if they have a BMI of 30.0 or higher. African American women have higher rates of obesity or being above average weight than other groups in the United States. Being obese increases the risk of many serious health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and early death.
The Our Community. Our Health. campaign is brought to life by our incredible Ambassadors. Their passion and dedication help shine a light on important health issues and encourage conversations about good health in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Hear from some of our Ambassadors in the videos below.
Healthy lifestyle changes can help prevent or manage these chronic health conditions.
Eat well. A healthy diet is key for diabetes prevention and effectively controlling your blood sugar. Read how a change in nutrition helped one woman take control of a prediabetes diagnosis. Eating healthy includes eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins. It can also help you maintain a healthy weight and control heart disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure.
Get active. Regular exercise (30 minutes a day, five days a week), such as walking, water aerobics, dancing, and biking, can help prevent heart disease. It can also help you manage your weight and improve blood sugar levels.
Keep your heart healthy. Limiting salt and saturated fat, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce your risk for heart disease.
Talk to a doctor. There are screenings available for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other conditions. Independence members can locate a provider here:
Compounded with more prevalent rates of heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions, African Americans are at risk for more severe cases of COVID-19 and death.
Here's what we know:
The COVID-19 vaccines are our best protection against severe illness from COVID-19. However, in Philadelphia, vaccination rates are lowest among the African American community, especially in younger adults. It's normal to have questions about the vaccine. For African Americans, those questions are often rooted in an understandable distrust of the medical community because of race-based inequities in health care outcomes and a history of systemic racism.
But it's important to know that studies and health experts, including many African American doctors, agree that the COVID-19 vaccines are the most reliable way to build protection. The vaccines are:
Updated bivalent boosters: The CDC recommends anyone over the age of five should get an updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least two months since their last COVID-19 vaccine. This will increase the body's immune response to new variants.
Child vaccinations: African American children ages 5-11 are 2.3 times less likely to be vaccinated than their white peers. Children do not have natural immunity to COVID-19. Everyone ages 5 years and older can now get the COVID-19 vaccine.
To find a vaccination distribution site near you, visit vaccines.gov today. For information on care and services available for COVID-19, check out the IBX COVID-19 site.
According to a 2022 report, women of color were at a nearly 70% higher risk of pregnancy-related complications than white women. These complications can lead to short and long-term consequences to a woman's health. The prevalence of conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension in the African American community contribute to the higher risk facing pregnant women. But the study also points to racial inequities and bias within the health care system as key factors.
An earlier report, published in 2021, surveyed women about their pregnancy and childbirth experiences. African American women reported feeling less confident than white women that they would receive the care they need. The survey also found that only 62 percent of African American mothers were able to complete all recommended prenatal visits, citing transportation barriers or scheduling conflicts.
