Black women, health and preventative measures

by Nayaba Arinde “Black women are the bomb, but sometimes we get in our own way,” states Enid Knight. Ms. Knight, a healthcare coach and healthcare worker for almost 30 years, was referring to preventative health issues that disproportionately impact sisters. “The doctor doesn’t go home with you, so you have to follow the instructions and do for self,” she added. “We are saying that we are ‘woke,’ but it is presenting like insomnia. We are not helping ourselves to protect our health, or get better from a health challenge,” Ms. Knight told The Final Call. The Diabetes and Chronic Pain Manager at the Brooklyn Plaza Medical Center in New York City added, “We are more likely to get diagnosed with diabetes, but we do not always follow through. Advertisement We have to manage our health (and) advocate for ourselves so that we can monitor our health. We don’t want to be hit with any unhealthy shocks because we got caught up with every other facet of our lives and family.” The American Journal of Public Health has reported that “African American adults are 50 percent to 100 percent more likely to have diabetes than are Whites.” “Diabetes can occur...