Health Beliefs
The beliefs and practices that inform and affect health are as diverse as the individuals and populations that make up the United States. A person’s culture, ethnicity, religion, , and other affiliations all influence health beliefs and practices. In addition, acculturation to the dominant society modifies culturally-based beliefs and practices. Acculturation is the exchange of cultural features that results when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first hand contact; the original cultural patterns of either or both groups may be altered, but the groups remain distinct. (Kottak 2007) Kottak, Conrad Phillip (2005) Windows on Humanity, pages 209, 423. McGraw Hill, New York.
“Culture” is defined as the shared beliefs, values, behaviors, social forms and material traits of a group. The group may be based on country of origin, ethnicity, race, religion, or another trait. Most discussions of culture include all of these characteristics in the definition.
Each culture has a set of health beliefs to which the majority adheres. Although broad generalizations can be made about a particular culture’s beliefs, it is essential to recognize that every individual has a unique personal history, belief system, communication style, and health status. Generalization can lead to stereotyping, which in turn often results in misconceptions that lead to poor health care outcomes.
Immigrants, for example, may have varying degrees of acculturation to the dominant society and may have a complex mix of health beliefs and practices that reflect their culture of origin as well as the degree to which they have adapted to the dominant culture. Succeeding generations are likely to have greater acculturation and adoption of Western health beliefs and practices than do the original immigrants. Unique native, non-immigrant, cultures also have variable degrees of adherence to traditional health beliefs and adoption of Western medical practices. In order to care optimally for persons from different cultures it is important that the physician be aware of her/his own culture and of the “culture of medicine” within which the physician practices.
Numerous organizations have emphasized the importance of cultural competency in health care. For more information, see: http://www.ethnomed.org/ethnomed/clin_topics/competency/index.html
For more specific information on different cultures please, see: http://www.ethnomed.org
An excellent source for the approach to patients from different cultures:
Bigby J. Cross-Cultural Medicine. American College of Physicians. Philadelphia, 2003.In addition, information about the specific cultures discussed in eCLIPPs will be found in each case.
Navajo http://www.ihs.gov/FacilitiesServices/AreaOffices/Navajo/index.cfm?module=nao_cross_culture_medicine
Vietnamese
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1306060&blobtype=pdfAlternative health care beliefs (homeopathy)
See: Lake J. Textbook of Integrative Mental Health Care. Thieme, 2006, pp. 10 ff.