Introduction
The incidence rate of obesity among members of the Hispanic population of the United States has reached an alarmingly high level. The problem consists of two integral stages, which contribute to its overall development. During the first one, the condition develops through unhealthy eating habits and a lack of exercise, causing the primary issue (Ochoa & Berge, 2017). Next, members of the population under review refuse to seek professional intervention (Heitkamp & Gunderman, 2021). This component stems from the overall lack of trust in the public health system conditioned by the internal influence of the community and fueled by past negative experiences. In order to provide the population with the necessary assistance, public health specialists should examine the broader context within which the issue develops and persists through the implementation of the PEN-3 model. The purpose of this paper is to identify negative factors directly causing obesity within the Hispanic population, while distinguishing positive influence, upon which potential interventions should be based.
Cultural Empowerment
Positive
First of all, when reviewing the empowering aspect of a culture in the context of public health issues, it is crucial to avoid exclusively negative presuppositions. While the surrounding community plays a role in the development of some problems, its positive aspects should not be disregarded. As for the Hispanic communities, they tend to be close and supportive, thus enhancing the confidence of their members. As stated by Gonzalez and Méndez-Pounds (2018), family values are particularly important among Hispanic people, which positively influences their development. Children are raised in an atmosphere of love and care, which translates into positivity in adulthood and respect for others. Lardier, Garcia-Reid, and Reid (2018) write that most Hispanic communities nurture positive empowerment in their members, promoting well-being and mental health. Overall, the positive factors have the potential to improve the public health of the discussed population by increased care for the well-being of obese friends and relatives. However, in the context of obesity, they appear to be partially negated by other factors discussed below. Nurses and dieticians can utilize this factor by discussing the implications of obesity with one’s family.
Existential
At the same time, there are particular cultural factors, the empowering effect of which cannot be deemed as inherently positive or negative. Such values and beliefs are considered existential, and they do not entail any direct harmful implications in terms of public health. As far as Hispanic Americans are concerned, research suggests that their culture encourages positivity in all areas (Choi & Chestnova-Dutton, 2017). The mindsets of the members of this population are usually oriented toward immediate positive reactions, meaning that they anticipate a favorable outcome more often than an unfortunate one. In addition, while Hispanic families actively assimilate into the American cultural landscape, they preserve their original values and traditions of utmost importance. These communities remain highly ritualistic, and the traditional custom of the Quinceañera serves as an excellent example of this characteristic (Verdin & Camacho, 2019). Nevertheless, while optimism and rituals form integral components of the Hispanic culture, they do not appear to have a direct, observable effect on the development and persistence of obesity. Therefore, potential interventions are to include factors from the previous and the following sections.
Negative
While ritualistic behavior, in general, is not associated with obesity within this demographic, the increased importance of the role of food correlates with the development of the discussed condition. Ochoa and Berge (2017) describe the prevalence of unhealthy eating patterns as one of the main factors contributing to the development of obesity, especially among children, in Hispanic households. Important events are often accompanied by abundant meals, which form corresponding habits from a young age, and children’s obesity persists into adulthood. In addition, while the family-oriented nature of the Hispanic culture is a generally positive phenomenon, negative views of the public health system combine with it, aggravating the discussed issue. Within their cultural framework, Hispanic people are taught to rely on themselves and their family members, seeking support among them rather than from medical professionals. As a result, self-treatment – or even the complete lack thereof – continues until serious complications reveal themselves, prompting people to visit a clinic (Heitkamp & Gunderman, 2021). In many cases, the influence of the negative factors outweighs the positive side of Hispanic cultural empowerment, causing the discussed public health issue.
Reflection and Conclusion
Overall, the conducted research revealed surprising results in relation to the discussed topic. First of all, cultural empowerment is a multifaceted phenomenon, and its influence can be positive, neutral, or negative. However, the exact nature of the empowerment is only revealed through analysis in relation to a specific public health issue. The negative factors, which contribute to the obesity prevalence among Hispanic people comprise unhealthy eating traditions and the priority of the community’s opinion over medical professionals (Ochoa & Berge, 2017). Nevertheless, this influence can be countered by a stronger emphasis on the positive factors. Their list includes high levels of community support and cares for one’s family and friends(Lardier, Garcia-Reid, & Reid, 2018). When addressing the issue of Hispanic obesity, public health specialists will benefit from identifying the positive factors of cultural empowerment and focusing on them in further interventions.
References
Choi, E., & Chestnova-Dutton, Y. E. (2017). The relationship between momentary emotions and well-being across European Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans. Cognition and Emotion, 31(6), 1277–1285.
Gonzalez, N., & Méndez-Pounds, J. (2018). The impact of acculturation and cultural values on Hispanic immigrants’ parenting. Contemporary Family Therapy, 40, 56−67.
Heitkamp, N., & Gunderman, R. B. (2021). Cultural competence in pediatric radiology: Hispanic culture. Pediatric Radiology, 51, 11−13.
Lardier Jr., D. T., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (2018). The interacting effects of psychological empowerment and ethnic identity on indicators of well‐being among youth of color. Journal of Community Psychology, 46(4), 489−501.
Ochoa, A., & Berge, J. M. (2017). Home environmental influences on childhood obesity in the Latino population: A decade review of literature. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19(2), 430−447.
Verdin, A., & Camacho, J. (2019). Changing family identity through the Quinceañera ritual. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 41(2), 185−196.