Question

some cultural issues which affect Health Promotion and Health Education

Answer 1

· Culture is a pattern of ideas , customs and behaviours exchanged by a given individual or society. It changes continuously.

· Varies in speed of cultural development. It increases when a population migrates to their culture of origin and integrates components of a new culture in it.

· Children often struggle to be 'between cultures,' balance between the 'old' and the 'new.'

· One way of thinking about societies is whether they are 'collectivist' or 'individualist' mainly. Knowing the difference will help health care providers identify and adapt a treatment plan that involves a smaller or larger population.

· Patients and healthcare professionals are influenced by their respective cultures. Canada's health-care system has been influenced by traditionally dominant societies' common values.

· Cultural bias can result in very different preferences and perceptions related to the health. Skills known as 'cultural maturity' are becoming mindful of and negotiating such gaps. This perspective allows care providers to specifically ask about different beliefs or care sources, and to incorporate new awareness into diagnosis and treatment planning.

· Demonstrating patient culture understanding will encourage trust, enhance wellness, contribute to higher rates of diagnosis acceptance and increase adherence to treatment.

Impact of culture on health

Health is a cultural concept because it frames culture and shapes our perception of the world and our experiences. Culture helps identify, as well as other determinants of health and disease:

· How patients and healthcare professionals view health and disease.

· What patients and health care providers think of the causes of illness. Some patients, for example, are unaware of germ theory, and may instead believe in fatalism, a djinn (in rural Afghanistan, an evil spirit that seizes infants and is responsible for tetanus-like disease), the 'evil eye' or a demon. They may not accept a diagnosis, and may even believe that they are unable to change events course. On the contrary, they will recognise conditions only as they unfold.

· Which conditions or diseases are stigmatised, and why. Depression is a common stigma in many cultures and seeing a psychiatrist means "crazy"

• What types of activities are practised, recommended or insured in health promotion. Being "strong" (or what Canadians would consider "overweight") in some cultures means having a store of energy against famine, and desirable and healthy "strong" women.

· How they experience and express illness and pain. In some cultures stoicism is the norm, even when confronted with severe pain.. People in other cultures express moderately painful sentiments openly. The degree to which pain should be examined or treated can vary.

· Interaction between patients and the health care providers. For example, in many cultures, failing to make direct eye contact is a sign of respect, but a care provider may wonder if the same behaviour means her patient is depressed.

· The level of understanding and adherence to treatment options recommended by health care providers who do not share their cultural beliefs.

· Some patients think a doctor who doesn't give an injection may not take their symptoms seriously.

· How patients and providers perceive chronic illness and different treatment options.

Health is effected in other ways, such as:

• Diagnostic acceptance including who should be told, when and how.

• Approval of interventions to support prevention or wellbeing (e.g., vaccinations, preventive care, birth control, screening tests, etc.).

• Perception of how much control individuals have when it comes to disease prevention and control.

• Views of mortality, death and who should take part.

• Direct contact vs indirect communication. According to culture, making or avoiding eye contact can be regarded as rude or polite.

• Willingness to discuss with a health care provider or interpreter the symptoms.

• Impact of family dynamics including conventional gender roles, filial obligation and family support patterns.

• Youth expectations and ageing.

• How open and how well the health-care system operates.