Premium Essay

Cultural Views on Health

In:

Submitted By system37
Words 776
Pages 4
Cultural Views on Health

Every cultures view on health is varied by different variables. Such as religion, economy, superstition, tradition, science, and logic this list continues on. This type of variables is what forms a cultures conceptions and opinions on health. Although, some of these attributes may not make since to everyone these attributes can either make care giving easier, or harder. Like many other cultures the Hispanic culture has their views on health. Although many Hispanics live in the United States their views on health often reflect their traditions and their ancestry. Hispanic’s generally see health as being and looking well. This could include being able to rest, being happy, and being able to perform ones duties (Rhode Island Department of Health, 2009). The Hispanic culture believes that emotions have strong ties to health. They avoid extreme emotions such as sadness, rage, and depression. These types of emotions are believed to be strongly linked to health. This belief falls in line with the concept of health as harmony. Striving to have a positive outlook on life and develop harmony with oneself and the surroundings. This type of thinking supports a healthy mental status which encourages a healthy physical status. When observing a person which is sick with a negative attitude towards a sickness or life will typically take longer to recover. There is something about a positive outlook that encourages the body to restore health and promotes quick recovery. Hispanics may not seek medical help until they are very sick. Preventative medicine is not a norm for most Hispanics (Rhode Island Department of Health, 2009). This can make treatment difficult for health care providers. With preventative treatment illness could be avoided. With the lack of preventative treatment and waiting

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Cultural Views on Health

...Cultural Views on Health HCA/230 November 21, 2010 Introduction The largest subgroup of Asian Americans is Chinese Americans. The United States Census Bureau (2000) reported that 22.6% of all Asian-Americans are of Chinese descent. Another culture’s population that is quickly increasing is natives from India. Approximately, 8.7 million Indian natives live in the United States. Both of these cultures are dominant in the United States and share similar health views. Chinese Americans Often, Chinese Americans access to health care and other services is denied because of discrimination. Even with Chinese Americans having the highest tuberculosis and suicide rates in the United States, access to health care becomes difficult because of language barriers, cultural conflicts, and attitudes toward illness. Because of these barriers, most Chinese Americans rely on traditional Chinese herbal medicine. There are several agencies such as the Richmond Maxi Center, located in the Richmond district of San Francisco and the Asians for Community Involvement in the Silicon Valley of California that were established to meet the needs of Chinese Americans and other Asian Americans. Today, both Chinese and Western medicines are widely used by Chinese Americans, although some use exclusively Chinese medicine while others only Western medicine. Traditional Chinese health beliefs include adopting a holistic view while emphasizing the importance of environmental factors in increasing...

Words: 824 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Heritage Assessment Tool: Evaluation of Different Cultures and Individual Views of Health

...ASSESSMENT TOOL: EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT Heritage Assessment Tool: Evaluation of Different Cultures and Individual Views of Health Micaela Simon Grand Canyon University Family-Centered Health Promotion 429V Melanie Escobar RN MSN August 31, 2012 Heritage Assessment Tool: Evaluation of different Cultures and Individual Views of Health The Heritage Assessment Tool can be used as as a reliable tool to assess, health maintenance, protection and restoration of individual cultural beliefs. This evaluation helps meet the needs of different patient populations to provide quality holistic care. The purpose of this paper is to explore the Hispanic, Native American, Chinese, and the author’s own personal cultural beliefs from perspectives of health traditions, maintenance, promotion and restoration of health. The objectives are to identify different families and the own common health traditions based of the cultural heritage. Evaluate and discuss how the families ascribe to traditions and practices. The evaluation of these different cultures reveal similarities and differences in traditions that may help provide holistic optimal health delivery. The definition of cultural awareness is an individual’s awareness of their understanding between themselves and other backgrounds, attitudes to health and specific cultural values (Cultural awareness, n.d). Cultural competence refers to knowledge and skills that must be obtained to care for culturally different backgrounds (Spector...

Words: 1319 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

The Heritage Assessment Tool: a Cultural View of the Patient

...THE HERITAGE ASSESSMENT TOOL: A CULTURAL VIEW OF THE PATIENT The Heritage Assessment Tool: A Cultural View of the Patient Grand Canyon University: 439v March 11, 2012 The Heritage Assessment Tool: A Cultural View of the Patient The Heritage Assessment Tool is a series of 29 questions designed to determine a patient’s ethnic, cultural, and religious background. The tool gives nurses an understanding of the patient’s traditional health and illness beliefs and practices so that culturally appropriate interventions can be initiated (Flowers, D.L., 2005). The following paper summarizes the assessment results of three culturally different families, and uses those results to show how the nurse would proceed with health promotion based on the differences in health traditions between the three cultures. Health Maintenance The value a patient places on family values and their perceived support system can greatly influence their overall health maintenance. With two of the families interviewed, one with a Hispanic ethnic background and the other from an American Indian background, both families placed great value in their family relationships. Both families were able to express knowledge of an extended family network and were active participants of that social system. The family unit is the most important support system to both cultural groups. Askim-Lovseth & Aldana (2009) explains that in an extended family network all “family members are expected...

Words: 1128 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Different Cultures and Their Health Traditions

...Cultures and Their Health Traditions The Heritage Assessment Tool is a valuable tool that can be used by health care professionals to help them become aware of the client’s ethnic, religious and cultural background in relation to their views on health, illness and diseases. As defined by Winkelman, culture, is an element of ethnicity, consists of shared patterns of values and behaviors that characterize a particular group (as cited in Edelman & Mandle, 2010, p.32) Assessing these culturally diverse individuals and being aware of traditional health practices will improve the quality of care given to them. In this paper the writer will discuss the Hispanic, Haitian, and Filipino cultural backgrounds and how their heritage, as well as what their beliefs and values, affect their views on heath maintenance, protection, and restoration. Heritage Assessment Usefulness In assessing one’s heritage, cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds and preferences, and how it may directly relate to the person’s views on health and illness, the healthcare professional will be able to understand the individual as a whole and be able to tend to their needs better rather than just focusing on the illness itself. Being culturally competent means providing health care based on the understanding of the total context of the client’s complex situation through knowledge, attitude, and skills (CGU, 2011). The heritage assessment tool provides a good basis for the patient and health care professional to...

Words: 1371 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Purrnells Model

...K**** I**** Grand Canyon University: Transcultural HealthCare February 28, 2016 Applying Purnell’s Model What is cultural competence?   To be culturally competent healthcare provider one needs to understand their own world outlook and those of their patients, at the same time avoiding stereotyping and their own biases.   Cultural competence is obtaining cultural data and then relating that knowledge. Cultural competence is a conscious ongoing process. Cultural awareness allows a healthcare provider to see the entire picture and improves the quality of care and health outcomes.   Familiarizing ones self to different cultural beliefs and practices requires flexibility and a respect for others view points.   Cultural competence requires the ability to listen to the patient, to learn about the patient’s beliefs of health and illness.   The Purnell Model for Cultural Competence is a framework having detailed questions and a format that could be used to assess culture in healthcare setting. The Purnell Model for Cultural Competence in a healthcare setting place an importance on effective communication as well as the need to know the cultural views of patients. Purnell’s definition of cultural competence is, the totality of socially transmitted behavioral patterns, arts, beliefs, values, customs, lifeways, and all other products of human work and thought characteristics of a population of people that guide their worldview and decision making (Purnell, 2002,pg6-7). In other words...

Words: 865 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Term Paper

...Culture Evaluation: A View into Heritage With the United States continuing to grow, both in population and with views on healthcare, so does the need for continuous change and development in Nursing. The changing demographics and economics of a growing multicultural world and the long-standing disparities in the Health status of people from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds has challenged health care providers to consider cultural competence as a priority (Capinha-Bacote, 2002). Patients within the hospitals are of every ethnic group and culture, and at times a mix of each. The term melting pot is used to describe the United States, which also has a tight relation to healthcare as well. For nurses, it is vital to maintain a sense of professionalism and unbiased opinions. Within the culture evaluation, a comparison of beliefs about health maintenance, protection, and restoration will be investigated amongst Asian-American, Caucasian, and Hispanic cultures. Cultural Competence Within such an eclectic amount of cultures, keeping cultural awareness, knowledge, skill, and the way culture is encountered maintains the ability to be culturally competent. Cultural awareness is the self examination and in depth exploration of one’s own cultural and professional background (Capinha-Bacote, 2002). Maintaining a sense of empathy and understanding regarding patient’s culture and beliefs assists in the individuals healing process. Cultural knowledge is the process of seeking and...

Words: 1429 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Cultural Competence In Health Care Essay

...Understanding Cultural Competency in Healthcare Settings Define culture It is very difficult to define culture from just one perspective. Culture can never be generalized and categorized into specific groups and subgroups (Bryan, 2014). We can’t say there is one African American culture, or “the Asian American culture”. We have to be careful when categorizing a group of people as being this way or that way due to their culture as that would be stereotyping (Bonder, Martin, Miracle, (2001). However, each group has some general cultural similarities and practices that are common amongst themselves (Bryan, (2014). Definitions of culture therefore depend on the views of the definer (Bryan, 2014). Some say culture is a “common view” of a people and a way of life by others (Campinha-Bacote, (2003). Others claim culture is a “common experience” that shapes similar attitudes, behaviors, and values (AIR, (2002). These values and attitudes are reinforced over time and carried forward from one...

Words: 2306 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Emerging Standards of Care: Cultural Competence

...Emerging Standards of Care: Cultural Competence Nur 531 July 29, 2013 Instructor Greg Friensz Emerging Standards of Care: Cultural Competence The current U.S. population exhibits unparalleled sociocultural and ethnic diversity, yet the nursing workforce fails to reflect the current state of the nation’s diversity. According to Clark, Calvillo, Fongwa, Kools, Dela Cruz, Lowe, and Mastel-Smith (2011) non-Hispanic Whites constitute 83.2% of the nursing workforce, although Hispanics, African Americans, American Indians, Asians, and other ethnic groups remain underrepresented. Nursing faces the challenge to meet the health care needs of such a culturally diverse population while promoting diversity in the workforce through educating nurses on cultural sensitivity and competence. Cultural competence in nursing is evolving as the standard of care. Nursing and other health care providers must employ knowledge of various social and cultural influences in the care setting to promote patient-centered care (Mitchell, Fioravanti, Founds, Hoffmann, & Libman, 2010). It is crucial to recognize and appreciate the relevance of diversity in the acute care setting to set standards of culturally competent nursing care, and improve care delivery through meeting and improving these standards. When examining definitions and concepts of cultural competence, it is evident that it not only pertains to race, sex, age, and ethnicity, but encompasses “other inseparable factors of culture...

Words: 3064 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Exercise 36

...examines individual’s cultural, ethnicity and religious views. It can be used to help understand health care settings of people from different backgrounds. Heritage Assignment Tool can be used to understand individual’s sights of health protection, restoration and maintenance. This paper will discuss the three ethnic groups interviewed and their point of views. The three different cultural groups are Europeans, Hispanics and Mine, Asian. This questionnaire has helped to understand the difference between the three races and how they blend into their cultural heritage. Cultural Heritage is “an expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation, including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values. Cultural Heritage is often expressed as either Intangible or Tangible Cultural Heritage (ICOMOS, 2002).” United States isn’t just one culture but consists of many cultures in one society or community, thus known as then melting pot. Using HAT allows healthcare professionals to develop cultural competencies, and every cultural beliefs views vary accordingly. Using the health care system on three different ethnical adolescents help understand their different health care tradition. Those participated in HAT questionnaire had married within their ethnic group thus creating a bond within their family and culture and expanding it to the future generation. Using HAT determines the improvements of health and illness beliefs...

Words: 1066 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Emerging Standards of Care

... University of Phoenix Emerging Standards of Care: Cultural Competence The current U.S. population exhibits unparalleled sociocultural and ethnic diversity, yet the nursing workforce fails to reflect the current state of the nation’s diversity. According to Clark, Calvillo, Fongwa, Kools, Dela Cruz, Lowe, and Mastel-Smith (2011) non-Hispanic Whites constitute 83.2% of the nursing workforce, although Hispanics, African Americans, American Indians, Asians, and other ethnic groups remain underrepresented. Nursing faces the challenge to meet the health care needs of such a culturally diverse population while promoting diversity in the workforce through educating nurses on cultural sensitivity and competence. Cultural competence in nursing is evolving as the standard of care. Nursing and other health care providers must employ knowledge of various social and cultural influences in the care setting to promote patient-centered care (Mitchell, Fioravanti, Founds, Hoffmann, & Libman, 2010). It is crucial to recognize and appreciate the relevance of diversity in the acute care setting to set standards of culturally competent nursing care, and improve care delivery through meeting and improving these standards. Cultural Competence When examining definitions and concepts of cultural competence, it is evident that it not only pertains to race, sex, age, and ethnicity, but also encompasses “other inseparable...

Words: 3099 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Cultural and Cultural Competency in Health Promotion

...Cultural and Cultural Competency in Health Promotion Rosa Diaz Grand Canyon University Family-Centered Health Promotion NUR-429V Geri Chesebrough April 22, 2012 According to Cultural Diversity in Nursing, cultural competence is “obtaining cultural information and then applying that knowledge. This cultural awareness allows you to see the entire picture and improves the quality of care and health outcomes”. With today’s diverse society, to better serve the people, healthcare providers need to respect and acknowledge people’s views in healthcare. The perception of illness and disease and their causes varies by cultures. Healthcare professionals must possess the ability to communicate and understand health behaviors that are influenced by culture. In this essay three families of different origin: Japanese, Filipino, and Hispanic, were interviewed and each explained their beliefs in health maintenance, protection, and restoration of their own health. All cultures approach health care management by their cultures own worldly views. The usefulness of a heritage assessment tool is to identify the needs of a person as a whole. This can be an effective way to gain insight and help determine a course of action most beneficial for that particular person. Part of the assessment tool that is useful in identifying particular characteristics of a person is the origin of birth of the persons’ parents, identifying their ethnicity, which can allow for considerations such as genetic...

Words: 1497 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Heritage Assessment Tool

...Evaluation of different Cultures and Individual Views of Health The Heritage Assessment Tool can be used as as a reliable tool to assess, health maintenance, protection and restoration of individual cultural beliefs. This evaluation helps meet the needs of different patient populations to provide quality holistic care. The purpose of this paper is to explore the Hispanic, Native American, Chinese, and the author’s own personal cultural beliefs from perspectives of health traditions, maintenance, promotion and restoration of health. The objectives are to identify different families and the own common health traditions based of the cultural heritage. Evaluate and discuss how the families ascribe to traditions and practices. The evaluation of these different cultures reveal similarities and differences in traditions that may help provide holistic optimal health delivery. The definition of cultural awareness is an individual’s awareness of their understanding between themselves and other backgrounds, attitudes to health and specific cultural values (Cultural awareness, n.d). Cultural competence refers to knowledge and skills that must be obtained to care for culturally different backgrounds (Spector, 2008). The Heritage Assessment Tool (HAT) , is a check list used by professionals to gain knowledge of patients culture and beliefs prior to initiating care (Spector 2000). In combination with questions that relate to health beliefs and practices the HAT assessment includes...

Words: 253 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Health and Heritage

...Running head: HEALTH AND HERITAGE Health and heritage Health Promotion In Nursing Care Health and heritage Ever individual has a cultural heritage. Each culture views the world differently. Culture is an inherited characteristic and includes knowledge, beliefs, custom, skills, likes and dislikes. The fundamental role of cultural heritage is imitating, respecting the diversities and brings people together to face the future by informing perceiving and give importance to the understanding of the past. Heritage assessment tool was introduced for collecting information about different cultures nationalities and build cultural competences among health care professionals. It is used to investigate a given population or ethnic group. The tool helps to perform a heritage assessment depending on how deeply the person identify and answer the question and is helpful in setting the stage for understanding the health traditions of the person. The greater the number of the positive responses shows the persons greater identification with traditional heritage. Traditionally cultural knowledge makes people aware about the health maintenance, protection and restoration and is the three aspects of health promotion. It is derived from health beliefs and practices. Physical mental and spiritual well being of the individual is given importance and is viewed differently in each culture. Health is considered as a true balance with in the body, spirit and mind and family, community and the natural...

Words: 1064 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Leiningers Cultural Care Power Point

...HEALTH -Leininger’s cultural care theory relates to the nursing metaparadigm concept of health by bringing to light that health and illness are viewed uniquely by varying cultures and are difficult to define (Friberg & Creasia, 2016). -An individual’s cultural background and their understanding of health and healthcare are inseparable and should be taken into account when being treated (Friberg & Creasia, 2016). -Healthcare providers should not project their personal beliefs onto the patient. Speaking notes Understanding a patient may have specific and perhaps rigid cultural beliefs regarding their own health can be key to providing the best individual care. By understanding various culture differences, the nurse can empower the patient by allowing them to promote their own health while maintaining their cultural dignity. By performing a self- evaluation, the nurse decreases the potential to project their own belief structure onto the patient. Cultures can vary widely regarding health and illness, maintaining an open line of communication with patients is imperative. Specific nursing improvement Jehovah’s witness members believe it is a sin to receive blood and blood products. Often times this can lead to an ethical healthcare dilemma (Effa-Heap, 2013). The refusal of any medical intervention is a patient’s right. The nurse plays a key role in advocating for the patient’s cultural beliefs. The patient should be made aware of any alternatives available, such...

Words: 386 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Cultural Competence

...Cultural Sensitivity and the Health Practices in Dominican Republic Manoucheka Chery Grand Canyon University: NUR-502 May 7, 2014 Cultural Sensitivity and the Health Practices in Dominican Republic The demographics of the United States is changing to one that is multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual. Culture is a vital component in the health and wellness of individuals. Culture affects individuals' beliefs, definition of health, treatments, and interaction with healthcare providers. These beliefs may affect the patient’s compliance with medication or therapy. In order to address the diverse beliefs of today’s population the advance practice nurse must be culturally competent. Barker and DeNisco (2013) defined cultural competence as a “compilation of the clinical skills and professional behavior of a healthcare provider focused on the cultural values, beliefs, and perceptions of the consumer while both are engaged in the therapeutic relationship” (p.486). According to Higgins and Learn (1999), the Hispanic population includes a diversity of subgroups. Although each subgroup shares a common language, “they differ in traditions and customs” (Higgins & Learn p. 1105). This paper will focus on Hispanics residing in rural Dominican Republican. According to Schumacher (2010), the number of Hispanics immigrating and living in the United States is rapidly increasing. “Between 1990 and 2000, the number of foreign-born Hispanics from the Dominican Republic (DR) in the...

Words: 1189 - Pages: 5