Cultural Considerations Across the Lifespan and in Health and Illness

Ch 3: Cultural Considerations Across the Lifespan and in Health and Illness

Introduction

This chapter explores how culture shapes beliefs, values, and behaviors across the lifespan, particularly in the context of health and illness. Understanding these influences is essential for providing effective, culturally competent care and for promoting health within diverse populations.

Culture: Definition and Expression

• Culture is a set of learned values, beliefs, customs, and behaviors shared by a common social group.

• It is transmitted across generations, shaping family traditions and social practices.

• Cultural influences are evident in food choices, parenting styles, and preferences for medical treatment.

• Example: Dietary restrictions during religious observances or preferences for traditional healing methods.

Beliefs and Values

Beliefs

• Beliefs are cultural teachings of practices and values handed down for generations.

• They determine how individuals behave and respond to daily life and health-care practices.

• Example: Belief in the healing power of prayer or traditional remedies.

Values

• Values are deep feelings about what is right or wrong, good or bad.

• Most personal values are learned in early childhood and are influenced by culture.

• Example: Valuing independence versus community decision-making in health care.

Cultural Influences Across the Lifespan

Culture and Pregnancy

• Cultural background strongly influences family members’ views of the birth experience.

• In many non-Western cultures, women are expected to have 20–40 days of bedrest after giving birth.

• Some cultures discard colostrum (first breast milk) and avoid vegetables during the first week after delivery.

• In Western cultures, the baby is the focus of gift-giving after birth; in many non-Western cultures, the mother is the focus of attention.

Culture and the Adolescent

• Independence is not equally valued in all cultures.

• Traditional religious practices and symbols can help stabilize adolescent identity.

• Adolescents may experience conflict between new styles, thoughts, and practices and their family's traditional values.

Culture and the Adult

• Cultural views influence perspectives on women, marriage, birth control, health care, abortion, and menopause.

• Example: Acceptance of birth control or abortion varies widely across cultures.

Culture and the Older Adult

• Most cultures encourage a positive attitude toward life and health in older adults.

• Elders are often seen as sources of wisdom and may play major roles in raising or disciplining grandchildren.

Cultural Beliefs and Health

Culture and Health Beliefs

• Health beliefs may involve balances between hot and cold, or concepts such as yin (darkness, cold, wetness) and yang (light, heat, dryness).

• Harmony in body, mind, and spirit is a common goal in many cultures.

Culture and Illness

• Some holidays may require restrictions of activity.

• Cultural beliefs may lead to declining certain medical treatments, such as medications, psychotherapy, or blood transfusions.

• Illness may be viewed as a result of sins from a previous life or as atonement for present sins.

Culture and Death

• The Self-Determination Act of 1991 supports individual rights in health care decisions.

• Western cultures often value individual autonomy in life-and-death decisions.

• In many non-Western cultures, family welfare is prioritized, and group approval is required for major decisions.

Cultural Considerations in Health Promotion and Teaching

• Diverse cultures can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations of health-care teachings.

• Questions should be phrased neutrally to avoid bias.

• Interpreters should be used when language barriers exist.

Complementary and Alternative Therapies and Culture

• There is a growing desire for individuals to control their own health-care decisions.

• Consideration of family, cultural beliefs, and values is increasingly important in health care.

• Alternative medicine refers to practices used instead of standard medical treatments, while complementary medicine is used alongside conventional medicine.

The Government's Role in Promoting Culturally Competent Care

• The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) supports research and education on alternative therapies.

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and Cross Cultural Health Care promotes health equity and cultural competence.

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the U.S. Office of Minority Health provide resources and guidelines for culturally competent care.

Additional info: Cultural competence in health care is essential for reducing health disparities and improving patient outcomes. Providers should be aware of their own cultural biases and strive to understand the cultural backgrounds of their patients.