Healthcare culture beliefs vary across different cultures. African American and Amish cultures are two very distinct traditions with different healthcare views. Though there may be similarities between their approaches to health, it is important to recognize the differences in order for healthcare providers to better understand how to care for people from those diverse backgrounds.
The African American community has had a long history of distrust in the medical field due to experimentation and mistreatment historically (Lim & Johnson, 2020). Through slavery, they were seen as commodities rather than human beings and endured untold suffering without consent or understanding of what was happening (Lim & Johnson, 2020). This lack of trust still remains today within this community which results in disparities when accessing health services. In addition, religious beliefs also shape some aspects of the African American culture’s approach towards health-related matters including faith healing versus traditional medicine (Moody et al., 2019). For example, many members of this population view prayer as a tool for healing physical ailments while other believers may reject traditional treatment options altogether in favor of spiritual solutions instead (Moody et al., 2019).
What are the healthcare culture beliefs of the African American and the Amish cultures and mention if there is any similarity in their beliefs.
In contrast, members of the Amish community have strong ties to religion and self-reliance which informs much of their healthcare attitude (Vuillemi & Hirschman 2008). The belief that illness can be treated through natural remedies such as herbs or homeopathic medicines is common among them (Vuilleimie & Hirschman 2008). Also significant is the high value placed on family bonds; when an individual does not feel well there is usually an emphasis on caring for themselves at home over seeking outside help from professional medical staff unless absolutely necessary (Vuillemie & Hirschman 2008). Other beliefs commonly held by this population include maintaining good hygiene practices and refraining from using certain technologies such as motorized transportation which could potentially put one at risk if they need emergency care quickly.
Though these two groups have disparate cultural views on how best to approach healthcare decisions it appears that they share similar attitudes towards prevention being preferred over treatment methods whenever possible. Both communities emphasize practicing healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly so that illnesses are less likely occurr(Lim & Johnson, 2020; Vuillemie & Hirschmann 2008), thereby promoting overall wellbeing within each respective group. It would seem then that through education about preventive measures both populations could benefit greatly from taking steps early on before major issues develop requiring extensive intervention down the line – something nurses should keep in mind when counseling individuals from either background about their personal wellness plans .