Cultural Considerations Flashcards
African Americans
May believe that illness is caused by supernatural causes and seek advice and remedies from faith healers; they are family oriented; have higher incidence of high blood pressure and obesity; high incidence of lactose intolerance with difficulty digesting milk and milk products
Arab Americans
May remain silent about health problems such as STI’s, substance abuse, and mental illness; a devout Muslim may interpret illness as the will of Allah, a test of faith’ may rely on ritual cures or alternative therapies before seeking help from health care provider; after death, the family may want to prepare the body by washing and wrapping the body in unsewn white cloth’ postmortem examinations are discouraged unless required by law. May avoid pork and alcohol is Muslim. Islamic patients observe month long fast of Ramadan ( begins approx. mid-October); people suffering from chronic illnesses, pregnant women, breast-feeding, or menstruating don’t fast. Females avoid eye contact with males; use same-sex family members as interpreters.
Asian Americans
May value ability to endure pain and fgrief with silent stoicism; typically family oriented’ extended family should be involved in care of dying patient; believes in “hot-cold” yin/yang often involved; sodium intake is generally high because of salted and dried foods; may believe prolonged eye contact is rude and an invasion of privacy; may prefer to keep comfortable physical distance between the patient and the healthcare provider.
Latino Americans
May view illness as a sign of weakness, punishment for evil doing’ may consult with a curandero or voodoo priest’ family members are typically involved in all aspects of decision making such as terminal illness; may see no reason to submit to mammograms or vaccinations.
Native Americans
May turn to a medicine man to determine the true cause of an illness may value the ability to endure pain or grief with silent stoicism; diet may be deficient in vitamin D and calcium because many suffer from lactose intolerance or don’t drink milk; obesity and DM are major health concerns; may diver eyes to the floor when they are praying or paying attention.
Western Culture
May value technology almost exclusively in the struggle to conquer diseases; health is understood to be the absence, minimization, or control of disease process’ eating utensils usually consists of knife, fork and spoon’ three daily meals is typical
