Health Inequalities in the BAME population

"We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now” (Martin Luther King Jr). Now more than ever the UK population must come together to support one and other during the COVID - 19 crisis and the Black Lives Matters movement.

In the UK, evidence shows there are health inequalities in the BAME population (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) in relation to diet and disease. Health inequalities are differences in health between different population groups. The UK is a multi - ethnic society and the ethnic diversity in the population is on the rise.

Food Insecurity and Diet

Unfortunately, ethnic minority households are at a greater risk of food insecurity. It is estimated that they are 1.5 times at a greater risk of food insecurity compared to households of white ethnicity. Organisations such as The Food Foundation are working to ensure that everyone across the UK can access and afford a healthy diet. This is important as long term food insecurity has been linked to chronic diseases. Want to help? Reach out to your local food bank to help end UK hunger!

Obesity

Some research has found a higher risk of obesity amongst black adults compared to Caucasians. The Health Survey for England in 2004 found that the prevalence of obesity was highest in black African (39%), Caribbean (32%) and Pakistani (28%) women compared to the general population (23%). However, there is a general lack of representative data available on obesity levels in minority ethnic groups within the UK making it difficult to form solid conclusions. Obesity increases the risk of developing certain diseases that can potentially have a very detrimental effect on health. There are lots of resources and support to help reduce your risk of developing obesity!

Diabetes

It’s diabetes week! There are estimates of around 1 million people in the UK from the BAME population living with diabetes in 2016 (as a reference, total numbers in the UK in 2016 were 3.6 million). There are certain ethnicities that are at a higher-risk of developing diabetes. Those of South Asian, African Caribbean or Black African descent are 2 - 4 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Also, women from the BAME population are at higher risk of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Diabetes UK have created some top tips to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes!

Heart Disease

The British Heart Foundation identifies that people with South Asian (including people of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan) background may be at an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to white Europeans. But don’t worry the British Heart Foundation have created some advice for South Asians and Africans/ African Caribbeans!

Mental Health

Racism and discrimination, and social and economic inequalities can all play a role in mental health and the stigma surrounding mental health. Research shows that racism and discrimination can be stressful and lead to poor mental health such as depression. Recently, Queen Mary University of London researched economic inequalities and discovered how the corona crisis was affecting women in the BAME population. For example, more than twice as many disabled or retired BAME women (42.5%) and men (48.3%) had reported how they had lost support from the Government - this is in comparison to white women (12.7%) and men (20.6%). Wanting to reach out for help? The Mental Health Foundation is working hard to provide good mental health to all!

Access to services

The diabetes in BME working communities released a report identifying how there is a link between deprivation and ethnic background and how this can impact an individual's access to health care. In addition to this, they discovered how ethnic groups face barriers which can affect them accessing services and supports. Here is a list of organisations the BAME population can reach out to for support during the COVID - 19 crisis!

Moving forwards…

We must keep in mind that every ethnic group has their own traditions, diets and cultures. We have created some factors to consider as we move forward:

Have a clear understanding of religious and cultural aspects related to food. This will allow the promotion of the positive aspects of traditional diets such as encouraging fruit and vegetable consumption.

Identify vulnerable groups and provide support e.g. pregnant women.

Nutrition education such as leaflets, flyers etc need to be available and provided in the mother tongue and if needed provide interpreters.

Use evidence based interventions.

Adopt a family and community centred approach and support the behavioural change.

Make healthy food affordable and convenient. Ensure there is effective labelling so people can make informed choices.

As a country we can work together to reduce inequalities by education, communication and positive behaviours!