CCHP-SLP-4

Running Head: HEALTH, CULTURE, AND IDENTITY SLP PAPER 0

Health, Culture, and Identity SLP Paper

Introduction

This paper has 2 parts that is about Health, Culture, and Identity. Part 1 is based on quiz reflections about Influence of culture on health care. However, in part 2 discussion highlight overview of the health issue, and PEN-3 model application on the target audience discussed in the article “Diabetes self-management education for African Americans.”

Part 1

Influence of Culture on Health Care

After undertaking the quiz, I learnt that culture influences healthcare largely. It influences the perceptions of the people concerning illnesses, health, as well as factors that lead to the disease (Helman, 2007). Culture also affects the interactions between the healthcare providers and the patients. Additionally, the failure of a patient to follow a specified treatment regimen is influenced by treatment preference types as dictated by the culture. Language barriers also have a significant effect to health care because they make communication between health practitioners and patients very difficult.

The information I learnt concerning culture is based on the questions I answered correctly and those that I was wrong. For example, I got a correct answer on the question on the learning of different cultures for providers whose patients are European-American especially because of the prevalence of traditional health care practices (Management Sciences for Health, 2008). I got a wrong answer on the question on the signing of consent forms by the husband of a pregnant woman in some cultures. I did not know that some cultures have some defined systems of taking care of pregnant women and ensuring that they are in good health until I undertook this test.

Learning from quiz

Some of my strengths in this area are that I do not judge people for following their cultural beliefs on health, I take time to explain to patients the cultural beliefs on heath and illness that are false, and I am committed to understanding the cultural background of an individual before providing healthcare services. My weakness is that I tend to avoid interactions with people of some cultures because their beliefs on health and illness are too complicate, and have a high preference or traditional medicines (Green, et. al., 2006).

Part 2

Overview of the Health Issue

Diabetes is a major health issues in the United States affecting more than 7% of the total population. Of the total 24 million individuals suffering from Diabetes in this nation, 8 million remain undiagnosed. According to Purcell and Cutchen (2013), the African-American people are likely to have diabetes 2.2 times than the whites. Additionally, studies indicate that of the total African-American population, 13.3% suffers from diabetes. Due to the prevalence of this problem, a Diabetes Self-Management Education approach, based on the PEN-3 model was developed to help find a solution the culturally delicate diabetes (Purcell & Cutchen, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the implications of this problem for health, and to analyze the three factors in the PEN-3 model concerning this illness and population.

Scope of the Problem and Implications for Health

Research indicates that over 2.8 million of the total African-American population suffers from diabetes, with very limited information on the number of new cases diagnosed each year. Diabetes results too many deaths of these people, and also has several other negative consequences. Other than the reduced life span resulting from diabetes, other consequences include amputations, end-stage renal disease, blindness, and hospitalization. The increased prevalence of diabetes among the African-Americans can be attributed to socio-cultural factors, environment, and genes. Diabetes is leading to an unhealthy African-American population.

PEN-3 Model

Cultural Empowerment

In relation to diabetes among the African-American, three domains of cultural empowerment should be consider. The Nurturers domain consists of the effect of the family, and community on beliefs and attitudes about diabetes. The enablers refer to any cultural and structural factors that influence change in this society towards the fight against diabetes (Cowdery, et. al., 2012). Lastly, there is the perceptions domain, which consists of the factors such as beliefs and knowledge of the people. It is quite clear that some of the factors are quite negative while others are positive, which explains the current rates of diabetes among the African-Americans.

Relationships and Expectations

Individuals in this society are often in denial concerning the prevalence of diabetes, which makes it difficult for them to seek medical attention. However, religious and social groups provide support for those affected and encourage them to adopt health living styles (Airhihenbuwa & Webster, 2004). On the other hand, some of the African-Americans are unable to afford healthy foods, which explain why more people are suffering from diabetes.

Cultural Identity

Very little information concerning diabetes is available for the African-Americans. To some extent, people lack the information concerning the disease due to ignorance, whereby they are not willing to get out of their comfort zones, do a little research to help them lead healthy lifestyles (Yick & Oomen, 2009). Interventions formulated should be focused on family care as the primary unit in fighting against the disease.

Conclusion

In part one quiz, I learnt that there are specific areas concerning culture that I needed to improve so that I can have the best possible outcomes when dealing with people of different cultures.

For part 2 studies, a lot of effort has to be put in reducing the number of African-American suffering from diabetes. An analysis of the PEN-3 model appears to best model to help come up with a solution. Healthcare providers should enforce the positive enablers in the three dimensions of the model, while they also find ways of inhibiting the effect of the negative enablers.

References

Green, et. al (2006). “We are not completely Westernised”: Dual medical systems and pathways to health care among Chinese migrant women in England. Social science & medicine, 62(6), 1498-1509.

Helman, C. G. (2007). Culture, health and illness. CRC Press.

Management Sciences for Health. (2008). Getting Started. Retrieved from http://erc.msh.org/mainpage.cfm?file=2.0.htm&module=provider&language=English&ggroup=&mgroup=

Airhihenbuwa & Webster. (2004) Culture and African Contexts of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Support.Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance.

Cowdery, et. al. (2012). Application of the PEN-3 model in a diabetes prevention intervention. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 4(1), 3.

Purcell & Cutchen. (2013). Diabetes self-management education for African Americans: Using the PEN-3 model to assess needs. American Journal of Health Education, 44(4), 203-212.

Yick & Oomen. (2009). Using the PEN-3 model to plan culturally competent domestic violence intervention and prevention services in Chinese American and immigrant communities. Health Education, 109(2), 125-139.