Black Men’s Health

“Our Strength is in our well being, not material possessions” – A black man

June has been known as Men’s Health Awareness Month, but as my readers may know, all content posted on my blog is specific to the black community, and June is no different. For this blog, I did things a little differently. You will notice quotes through-out the blog; these quotes come directly from black men. A digital survey was sent to 31 Black men aging from 18 to 60+, each Black man answered eight questions, at the end of the blog you will find the questions form the questionnaire, a summary of their answers, and a slideshow of the short answer. This month I decided to post my blog on June 12, 2020, on my dad’s birthday. My dad would have been 61 years old today. He passed away from complications of Sarcoidosis on May 18, 2011, though being in “tip-top shape.” Sarcoidosis, like many other diseases and health conditions, disproportionally affects the black community. A few days ago, I was reading the comments on his online obituary, and I came across this comment “…I first met Reggie running in the Metroparks. He would park his unit at our office, come inside to change, and run his 5 miles… Reggie was well received by the crew at Euclid Creek.” The health of black men extends past their physical health, black men face unique challenges in life. While some genetic factors may make them more prone to certain health conditions, systemic racism, and its impact on their health is responsible for a large part of their poor health outcomes. Certain organizations like the Black Men’s Health Project. NAACP, and Men Thrive, aim to highlight this unfortunate phenomenon.

“It’s extremely important for black men to take charge of our health. It’s the most important asset that we have.” – A Black Man

Common Conditions in Black Men

Black men have long had poor health outcomes. Leading causes of death include heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, unintentional injuries, kidney disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, and homicide. While some of these, such as heart disease and cancer, are not unique to black men, their rates are. Black people are 2x more likely to die from heart disease than white people. They are also 50% more likely to have a high blood pressure than white people. Black men are 9x more likely to die from AIDS than white men. Black men have the lowest life expectancy of all racial and ethnic groups and all genders.

“Get regular checkups, and don’t be afraid. Early detection could save your life.” – A Black Man

Social Determinants of Health

The social determinants of health are a term used in research and medical literature that describes factors that affect health. These factors include socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood, environment, employment, social networks, and access to healthcare. All of these factors are affected and informed by systemic racism. Systemic racism has limited black men’s ability to pursue a higher socioeconomic status, better education, better environment, and access to healthcare. The stress caused by systemic racism has also been shown to correlate with poor health outcomes. That same racism that causes poor health outcomes also limits the data on black men’s health. Dr. Roland Thorpe, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and the Founding Director of the Program for Research on Men’s Health, spoke with the Black Men’s Health Project about these issues. “There is no national data center that focuses exclusively on black men.” Black men have often been ignored by national databases. Dr. Thorpe goes on to explain that his research has found that discrimination, micro-aggression, and medical mistrust were linked to the poor health of black men.

“Please take your health very serious. The “people” may not always have your best interest.” – A Black Man

–Happy 61st birthday daddy, love Pooh

Questionnaire Q1. What is your age? 51% of the participants were ages 25-39

Q2. How would you rate your overall health on a scale of 1-10 32% of participants rated their health a 7 on a scale of 1-10

Q3. Do you have a primary care physician? A primary care physician is your main doctor who manages most of your medical issues. 32% of participants do not have a primary care physician

Q4. How often do you see your primary care physician? 36% See their primary care physician, “When I have a question or concern.” and 36% see their primary care physician “once a year”

Q5. How well do you think you are able to communicate your health needs to your physician? 48% participants stated they’re able to communicate their health needs “Extremely well”

Q6. Generally speaking, do you talk with other black males about health? 58% of participants talk with other black males about health

Q7. Has current or past events in America’s medical history impacted your view on the health care system? E.g. Unethical practices such as the Tuskegee experiment, Henrietta Lacks, U.S. response to COVID-19, etc. 58% of black males stated that past events in America’s medical history impacted their view on the health care system

Q8. If you could offer health advice to one black male who may be reading this blog what would you say?