Hispanic Population
The Hispanic population is a patriarchal, collectivist social group that emphasizes religion, family, and tradition. Combining traditional practices with modernized medicine is common. However, language barriers and lack of access to insurance or primary care providers lead to deferment of seeking professional help. Religion and tradition play a huge role in the cultural perspective on illnesses. Traditions indicate that sickness is caused by supernatural influences or humoral imbalance. To restore well-being, folk medicine such as consumption of herbs, rituals, and massages may be used.
Many people revere Christian influence on everyday life and turn to prayer and faith communities for healing. Many disorders, especially regarding mental and emotional health, are thought to be shameful. There is an evident lack of belief in preventive care in Hispanic communities. The concept of personal pride causes people to delay treatment until conditions worsen and stop as soon as immediate symptoms disappear (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Overall, the culture strongly relies on traditional medicine and interpersonal advice in the community to address any population health issues.
Hispanics are affected by poor socio-economic conditions which affect their lifestyle, behaviors, and perception of health. The Hispanic population is exposed to adverse environments that limit their health literacy and access to care. Hispanic countries, specifically Latin American nations, have experienced social strife and poverty caused by political conflicts over the last several generations. Those who immigrated to the United States continue to experience socio-economic barriers to integration, education, and opportunities which make them disproportionately vulnerable to social risks and chronic illnesses that impact population health.
There is a prominence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions related to diet and lifestyle. However, cancer is a major health concern for the Hispanic population. Cancer has a recorded 30% fatality rate which is the leading cause of mortality amongst Hispanics in 2015. There is a bigger risk of infection-related cancers. The US Hispanic population is grouped in metropolitan areas near major traffic hubs. This results in an elevated level of cancerous pollutants intake (Velasco-Mondragon et al., 2016). Also, chronic stress and poor living conditions lead to deteriorating behaviors such as tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy diets that directly cause cancer.
It is important to offer culturally competent health care when addressing the population needs. Medical professionals directly working with Hispanics need to be sensitive to cultural values which include sympathy, interpersonal relationship, family, and modesty. The traditional and religious aspects of folk medicine should be recognized. The majority of such practices have no adverse effects and can be safely combined with conventional treatments. Language and literacy barriers can be overcome through the use of interpreters and written material. Cancer, which is critical to diagnose and treat at earlier stages, can be addressed through the implementation of screening programs. It is important to work within the community structures, which the Hispanic population collectively values (Juckett, 2013). More people can be given access to health education and care through creating a safe and welcoming environment so that Hispanics can attend without worry about immigration status or lack of insurance.
Jewish Faith
Judaism is a major world religion that is practiced by the core Jewish ethnicity and others accepted into the faith. Followers of the religion are spread throughout the world, the majority living in Israel, the United States, and Europe. People of the Jewish faith are very devout, following the ancient traditions and adhering to the values in everyday life. There is a spectrum of observance amongst the population, while most follow customs, there are groups with stricter rules (known as Ultraorthodox and Hasidic Judaism). The religion emphasizes the necessity to uphold the health of the mind and body. This is partially the reason for a high number of ethnic Jews choosing medicine as a profession. Religion continues to play a role in health care as many may opt to consult a rabbi for advice before proceeding with any treatment (especially if the condition is serious).
The majority of followers of the Jewish faith live in well-developed countries and accept modern medical practices without hesitation. However, some traditions encompassing dietary requirements, sexual health, and Sabbath may impact the population response to health care. More traditional Jewish populations have strict rules regarding physical contact and may develop stigmas for illnesses. The most significant health care concern is nutrition, as Judaism requires the consumption of Kosher foods and fasting at certain times. This may intervene with health care in the attempt to follow nutritional values or diets as well as stabilizing related physiological processes. Also, Judaism discourages participation in experimental treatments or any medical process that can cause potential harm (Coleman-Brueckheimer & Dein, 2011). Overall, physiology is an extent of spiritual life to devout followers of the Jewish faith, and health care helps to maintain human life.
The Jewish population experienced social strife and violence throughout history which resulted in abuse, famine, and epidemics. Pinpointing exact influences is difficult. The scientific community agrees that Jews are impacted by hereditary factors, susceptible to certain genetic diseases, particularly the Ashkenazi Jewish population (Ostrer & Skorecki, 2013). Since these disorders are linked to genetics, specifically from the combination of genes that have origins from various parts of the world, it can be argued that the conflict and persecution of the Jewish population that resulted in constant migration may be responsible. The Ashkenazi Jews make up the biggest percentage of the ethnic group and carry prevalent genetic disorders such as Tay-Sachs disease and Gaucher’s disease.
The Jewish population living in the United States and Europe is susceptible to breast cancer and diabetes (Selekman, 2012). Since religion strongly supports medicine, the culturally competent approach would be to accommodate the treatment or intervention concerning tradition. The faith allows any medical intervention in case of an emergency. In other situations, the wishes of the patient should be respected. If it is evident that the person follows strict traditional Judaism, it is best to inquire about what makes them uncomfortable. Similar steps can be taken for public health interventions aimed at populations with practitioners of Judaism. It is best to consult with rabbis to understand the basic traditions which help to avoid violation of cultural norms.
Asian-Pacific Islanders
Asian-Pacific Islanders have a very traditional view of health care. They have a family-centric structure that revolves around taking care of and supporting the extended family. The well-being of each person revolves around a balance in a triad of physical, mental, and spiritual health. Their belief states that illness stems from an imbalance of this triad. The population actively practices traditional medicine which includes massage, herbal treatment, and prayer. Medical professionals are viewed as an authority in a health care environment, but incite suspicion that results in miscommunication. Due to poor health infrastructure at most localities, the concept of primary care or conventional medicine may be foreign. There is a lack of preventive care or medical screening in health facilities (Central Primary Health Organization, 2014).
The native population of the Asian-Pacific islands suffered from cultural and historical trauma caused by European colonization. The destruction of social structures and other atrocities led to numerous socio-economic issues including racism and poverty. It is believed that many of the social health problems experienced by society stem from the historical trauma which prevented the population from expanding access to health care and education. The Westernization of the islands resulted in sedentary habits and high sugar diets which varied from the traditional active lifestyle and healthy nutrition intake. A primary health concern for the population remains the prevalence of obesity which results in various complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular stress, cerebrovascular diseases. The Asian-Pacific Islander population has one of the highest rates of morbidity that is directly connected to the prevalence of obesity, climbing as high as 69% in Hawaii (Stanford School of Medicine, n.d.).
Health literacy on a social level is necessary to address the health concerns of Asian-Pacific Islanders. This requires intervention programs on an institutional level. However, evidence suggests that using Western-style methods of health education and preventive care is not effective, particularly regarding lifestyle changes. Obesity is complicated to address on a social scale. A more appropriate way of engaging the population is using cultural elements and hands-on activities. Lessons are conducted through performing arts popular in the region.
Physical activity was encouraged by traditional dance and healthy eating through cooking classes with local ingredients (Mihrshahi et al., 2017). This involves the critical components of exercise and nutrition in reducing the prevalence of obesity. During medical treatments, the implementation of complementary traditional practices has a positive effect. The patients, no matter the cultural background (there are numerous ethnicities mixed in the Asian-Pacific Island region), felt encouraged that healing traditions are encompassed in the treatment (Ghiasuddin, Wong, & Siu, 2015). Further cultural competency can be practiced through continuous communication and input from the population to evaluate the success of any health interventions.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Building our understanding: culture insights communicating with Hispanic/Latinos. Web.
Central Primary Health Organization. (2014). Pacific cultural guidelines. Web.
Coleman-Brueckheimer, K., & Dein, S. (2011). Health care behaviours and beliefs in Hasidic Jewish populations: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Religious Health, 50, 422-436. Web.
Ghiasuddin, A., Wong, J., & Siu, A. M. (2015). Ethnicity, traditional healing practices, and attitudes towards complementary medicine of a pediatric oncology population receiving healing touch in Hawaii. Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing, 2(4), 227–231. doi:10.4103/2347-5625.158015
Juckett, G. (2013). Caring for Latino patients. American Family Physician, 87(1), 48-54. Web.
Mihrshahi, S., Vaughan, L., Fa’avale, N., De Silva Weliange, S., Manu-Sione, I., & Schubert, L. (2017). Evaluation of the Good Start Program: A healthy eating and physical activity intervention for Maori and Pacific Islander children living in Queensland, Australia. BMC Public Health, 17(77), 1-10. Web.
Ostrer, H., & Skorecki, K. (2013). The population genetics of the Jewish people. Human Genetics, 132(2), 119–127. Web.
Selekman, J. (2012). People of Jewish heritage. In L. Pumell (Ed.), Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach (pp. 339-356). Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.
Stanford School of Medicine. (n.d.). Traditional health beliefs: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific lslander values. Web.
Velasco-Mondragon, E., Jimenez, A., Palladino-Davis, A., Davis, D., & Escamilla-Cejudo, J. (2016). Hispanic health in the USA: a scoping review of the literature. Public Health Reviews, 37(31), 1-27. Web.