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Epidemiology Across Cultures: African American Populations

Demographics | Health Statistics | Educational Statistics | Resources

Demographics

The term "Black or African American" refers to people having origins in any of the Black race groups of Africa. The 2005 American Community Survey estimates that the United States population was 288.4 million. Of the total, 36.9 million, or 12.8 percent, reported that they are Black or African American. This number included 35.0 million people, or 12.1 percent, who reported only Black or African American. Separate questions were asked on Hispanic or Latino origin. Hispanics who reported their race as Black, either alone or in combination with one or more other races, are included in the numbers for Black. [1]    

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Health Statistics

Incidence and Prevalence of Diseases

AIDS/HIV, number of 38,096 newly reported cases in 2005 [2]       

18,510

Cleft lip/palate [3]

1 per 2,500 births

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome [4] 

1.1 per 1,000 live births

Sickle Cell Anemia [5]

1 per 500 births

Stroke [6]

4.1%

 

 

Female

Male

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)5        

49.0%

44.6%

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)5

7.8%

7.1%

Diabetes Mellitus5

13.2%

10.2%


Risk Factors

 

Female

Male

Hypertension5

42.6%

46.6%

Obesity (BMI 30+)5

51.1%

30.8%

Total cholesterol 240 mg/dL+5

12.5%

14.1%

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Educational Statistics

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, approximately 17% of students enrolled in elementary and secondary schools in the Fall of 2003 were Black, Non-Hispanic. [7] The US Census Bureau indicates that 6.3% of Black children ages 5-17 speak a language other than English. [8]

Special Education Identification (Fall 2005) [9]

 

Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

Specific Learning Disabilities

5.57

Speech or Language Impairment

1.79

Mental Retardation

1.81

Emotional Disturbance

1.37

Multiple Disabilities

0.28

Hearing Impairment

0.12

Orthopedic Impairment

0.10

Other Health Impairment

0.96

Visual Impairment

0.05

Autism

0.29

Deaf-Blindness

0.0

Traumatic Brain Injury

0.04

Developmental Delay

0.18

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Resources

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[1] U.S. Census Bureau. American community survey. Data generated by Andrea Moxley; using American FactFinder. Retrieved March 16, 2007 from http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html.

[2] Center for Disease Control and Population. (2007). "Fact Sheet: HIV/AIDS among African Americans." Downloaded March 13, 2007 from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/aa/resources/factsheets/pdf/aa.pdf [PDF].

[3] Quick reference and fact sheets: Cleft lip and cleft palate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2007, from http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1210.asp. 

[4] Center for Disease Control. Healthy people 2010. Data generated by Andrea Moxley using CDC Wonder. Downloaded from http://wonder.cdc.gov/data2010.

[5] How common is Sickle Cell Anemia? (n.d.) Retrieved March 20, 2007, from http://www.ascaa.org/How_Common_Is_Sickle_Cell_Anemia.asp.

[6] American Heart Association. (2007). Heart disease and stroke statistics-2007 update. Dallas: American Heart Association.

[7] Digest of Education Statistics. (2005). "Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary school, by race/ethnicity and state: Fall 1993 and Fall 2003".  Downloaded March 13, 2007 from http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d05/tables/dt05_038.asp. 

[8] U.S. Census Bureau. Census 2000. Data generated by Andrea Moxley; using American Fact Finder.

[9] http://www.ideadata.org/tables29th/ar_1-18.htm downloaded March 13, 2007.


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