Introduction
Healthcare providers should be able to use different tools to diagnose, examine, and predict the health needs of their patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Since culture is a risk factor for health outcomes, practitioners must monitor the norms and practices associated with specific groups. The purpose of this paper is to assess the needs of families from three different cultural backgrounds.
Heritage Assessment: Three Families
Cuban
The members of this family are Cubans. The family has four members. The members live in an urban setting. The individuals in this family maintain contact with their relatives and siblings. They visit their relatives in Cuba at least once every year. The individuals did not answer some of the confidential questions asked such as the change of the family name. The family’s religious preference is Protestant. The parents are from the same ethnic group. They sometimes prepare foods of their ethnic background. They also engage in several ethnic activities such as holiday celebrations, festivals, costumes, and singing. The members use Spanish and English languages. They do not read in their native languages. They also use traditional medicine and prayers to promote healing.
African American
The second family belongs to the African American culture. The family has three members and lives in a suburban setting. They speak the English language only and maintain contact with their relatives in the region. They are Catholic and engage in several cultural practices such as celebrations, singing, dancing, and prayers. Traditional healing techniques and herbs are used by members of this culture. They also engage in activities such as burial ceremonies, weddings, and graduation ceremonies.
White
The parents in this family indicated that they have an English background. Their great grandparents were born in London, United Kingdom. Their parents were born in America during the Great Depression. The family’s religious preference is Protestant. The individual maintains contact with their relatives in the country and Britain. Religious practices such as prayers and fasting are embraced by every family member. The neighborhood is composed of persons from African American, Latino, and Asian backgrounds. The children in the family attend private schools. The major ethnic activities include music festivals and holiday celebrations. The language used in the family is English. They also read in this native language. They embrace modern health practices and preventative measures.
Similarities and Differences in Health Traditions
The completed cultural heritage exercise has revealed interesting insights and facts about the health traditions of these three families (Ortega, Rodriguez, & Bustamante, 2015). To begin with, all three families use modern health techniques such as vaccinations and drugs. The families also engage in practices such as prayers and fasting to achieve their health objectives. Healthy food materials and balanced diets are taken seriously by these three families. Parents take good care of their children to record positive health outcomes. Issues such as personal hygiene, counseling, and guidance are embraced by families.
It is also notable that there are specific differences in the health traditions of these cultural groups. African Americans are observed to embrace the use of herbal medicine. Latinos (Cubans) are known to use traditional healing methods. Traditional healers use herbs and therapies to treat individuals depending on the health conditions affecting them. Gender roles also impact the health outcomes of members of these two families. For instance, African Americans and Cubans expect women to give birth and raise children (Noonan, Velasco-Mondragon, & Wagner, 2016). This differs significantly from the practices and health traditions of whites. For instance, members of this cultural group use modern techniques such as medicines. Health services are received from medical institutions. Herbs are avoided by members of the family. Although Cubans embrace the power of prayers and fasting, whites believe that healing cannot be realized without combining drugs with prayers (Hunt & Whitman, 2015). African Americans have traditional midwives while whites seek maternity services from licensed health institutions. Such differences should, therefore, be taken seriously in an attempt to offer adequate support to members of these families.
Subscribing to Health Practices and Traditions
The completed study has shown clearly that members of each family are keen to subscribe to the above health traditions and practices. For instance, Cubans are always keen to use traditional medicine (Ortega et al., 2015). They also encourage children to share or discuss every health need with their seniors. However, African Americans do not take herbal medicine seriously. This is the case because they still seek modern health services such as the use of preventative medicine. They also engage in various traditions such as burial ceremonies. The wave of modernization continues to influence how members of these families continue to subscribe to emerging health traditions and practices.
Whites, on the other hand, are keen to seek and receive exemplary health services from professional practitioners. Vaccines, health appointments, medical checkups, and prenatal services are taken seriously by members of the white family (Hunt & Whitman, 2015). Individuals are usually keen to share their health needs with their relatives and friends. These practices have led to better health outcomes in the family.
Health Maintenance, Protection, and Restoration
The completed heritage assessment has revealed that members of African American and Cuban cultural groups lack appropriate health maintenance and health protection initiatives. Individuals from these two families tend to seek health services whenever they are ill (Ortega et al., 2015). Checkups and medical examinations are never taken seriously. However, their children are usually vaccinated at the right time. Some individuals do not embrace the best protective strategies to deal with various conditions such as HIV/AIDS, accidents, and obesity (Noonan et al., 2016). Similarly, members of these two cultures were observed to lack appropriate health restoration programs. Sick individuals were provided with adequate medicine or herbs depending on their health needs. These gaps explain why evidence-based models can be implemented to meet the health needs of different members of these two families.
Issues of health maintenance, protection, and restoration are considered by members of the white family. This is the case because the family members have periodic health checkups. This practice is used to identify potential health needs and risk factors for specific conditions such as cancer. The gathered information is then used to implement powerful health protection measures. Houses are also installed with adequate systems that protect individuals from injuries (Hunt & Whitman, 2015). Patients under medical care are supported using desirable health restoration models. Such systems are designed in such a way that the persons can achieve their health outcomes. Powerful campaigns are used to educate more whites about the best approaches to support their health needs.
Conclusion
This paper gives a true picture of the health positions and needs of different persons belonging to the white, African American, and Latino cultural groups. These groups are associated with diverse health behaviors, cultural norms, and practices that influence their health outcomes. The information can inform powerful models that can offer befitting restorative, maintenance, and preventative health services to members of each of these three families.
References
Hunt, B., & Whitman, S. (2015). Black:white health disparities in the United States and Chicago: 1990–2010. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 2(1), 93-100. Web.
Noonan, A. S., Velasco-Mondragon, H. E., & Wagner, F. A. (2016). Improving the health of African Americans in the USA: An overdue opportunity for social justice. Public Health Reviews, 37(12), 1-20. Web.
Ortega, A. N., Rodriguez, H. P., & Bustamante, A. V. (2015). Policy dilemmas in Latino health care and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Annual Review of Public Health, 36, 525-544. Web.