culture Flashcards
What is culture?
- Learned behaviour which has been socially acquired.
- Product of human societies, and man is largely a product of his cultural environment.
Impact of Cultural Factors on Health
- Concept of Etiology and Cure
- Environmental Sanitation
- Food Habits
- Mother and Child Health
- Personal Hygiene
- Marriage and sexuality
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Administration of drug is considered harmful.
> Cases are not notified and pujas are made to please the Gods.
Wrath of God.
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Venereal diseases are believed by some to be due to illicit sexual intercourse with a woman of low caste, or a woman during menstruation.
Breach of Taboo
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Leprosy and tuberculosis
Past sins
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Children are considered to be most prone to the effect of evil eyes.
> Charms and amulets are prescribed and incantations recited by the exorcist.
Evil eye
B. Physical Causes:
> For heat sttroke, application of oil and ghee on the soles of feet and administration of mango-phool with a pinch of salt.
Effects of Weather
A. Supernatural Causes:
> Hysteria and epilepsy are regarded due to spirits or ghost intrusion into the body.
> The services of an exorcist are sought to drive away the evil spirit or ghost.
Spirit or ghost intrusion
B. Physical Causes:
> Impure water is associated with disease.
Water
B. Physical Causes:
> Skin disease (scabies, acne, boil) are considered to be due to impure blood.
> Eating neem leaves and flowers is considered to purify blood.
Impure blood
Environmental Sanitation:
- Open field defecation.
- No idea of latrines among villagers.
- Latrines are meant for city dwellers, where there are no fields for defecation.
- Faeces are infectious, pollutes water and soil and promotes fly breeding.
- Problem of excreta disposal is bound up with numerous beliefs and habits bases on ignorance.
A. Disposal of Human Excreta:
Environmental Sanitation:
- Not aware that mosquitoes breed on collections of waste water.
- The solid waste is invariably thrown in front of the houses where it is permitted to accumulate and decompose.
- The animal dung (cow dung) is allowed to accumulate. It is used sometimes as manure and often times pressed into cakes, sun-dried and used as fuel.
B. Disposal Wastes
Environmental Sanitation:
> Common use for washing, bathing and drinking
Ponds and Tanks
Environmental Sanitation:
> Rural houses are same all over the country
HOUSING
Environmental Sanitation:
> Some rivers are considered ____
“Holy”
Environmental Sanitation:
> Gastroenteritis have occured due to these cultural practices.
Epidemics of cholera
Environmental Sanitation:
> Influenced by local conditions (e.g. soil, climate) religious customs and beliefs
FOOD HABITS
Environmental Sanitation:
> Beef, pork
FOOD TABOOS
Environmental Sanitation:
> Muslims observed ___ during Ramzan and Hindus on several occasions.
FASTING
Environmental Sanitation:
> Married, old, pregnant, widow
LADIES
Environmental Sanitation:
> Are frequently consumed by sadhus
GANJA, BHANG, CHARAS
Environmental Sanitation:
> Tabooed bu Muslims and high caste Hindus
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
Environmental Sanitation:
> Common utensils is conidered as a sign of brotherhood among Muslim
Eating and Drinking
Is universal in Indian Society
Marriage
Is incomplete without a male child
Family
Prolonged brastfeeding
Good
Oil bath, massage and exposure to sun
Good
Some foods (eggs, meat and fish, milk, leafy vegetables) are forbidden during pregnancy in some parts.
Bad
Deliveries are conducted by the traditional untrained dai or birth attendant.
Bad
No breast feed during the first 3 days of birth because of the belief that colostrum might be harmful; instead the child is put on water, and sugar solution.
Bad
Piercing ear/nose
Unimportant
Topical application of oil on head
Unimportant
Application of Surma / Kajal
Uncertain
