Effects of Culture on Health -- Week 8 -- Sarah Arriola

There are so many things that can be talked about under the title, "Effects of Culture on Health." One thing that can be discussed is how culture effects eating habits, weight gain/loss, and exercise.  Another thing is how culture effects how people think about medicine, treatments, and health care in general. A third thing that can be discussed is how culture can effect the general health of individuals.

We had some healthy options at our party, including cheese and veggies!

First let me start by pointing out how health was defined in Vaughn's book: "The definition of health has been extended to include other aspects of well-being -- 'state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'" (Vaughn p.134). So health isn't simply whether or not someone has a cough or the flu. When considering a person's health, as the definition points out, you have to consider not only their physical health, but their emotional, mental, and social health as well. Someone could look completely healthy but this doesn't necessarily mean that person is healthy. A person could be struggling with a mental illness, depression, or may be having difficulty making friends. None of these things would show up on a test a doctor might run, but these and many other things could mean that a person is unhealthy.

My boyfriend and I on a hike, one of my favorite forms of exercise!

Somethings that are greatly effected by culture are eating habits, weight gain and loss, and how much exercise is valued. Lately, whenever you turn on the television or flip open a newspaper, there always seems to be some article about how America is getting "bigger," which means that the population is becoming more and more overweight as a whole. There always seems to be a bigger size available at fast food restaurants, and the portions that are served in sit-down restaurants are growing in size as well. I'm starting to see more and more programs being implemented for America's children, to help them stay active and to keep them from becoming overweight. For me, eating healthy and staying active were always a part of my childhood, and some of those habits (although not as many as I would like) have stuck around as I've grown up. I still try to eat smaller portions when sit down for a meal, I try to eat healthy fruits and vegetables, and I try to work out regularly (although admittedly, I haven't been very good about that last one lately). For some, however, eating healthy and exercising isn't something they grew up with. Instead they grew up watching television, playing video games, and eating fast food several times a week. And why is this? Culture. 

Another health factor that is effected by culture is how people think about medicine, treatments, and health care in general. The first of the six cultural variables discussed by Giger and Davidhizar says, "environmental control relates to traditional health and illness beliefs, folk medicine, and traditional healers all of which can have a direct effect on environmental factors" (Vaughn p.135). This quote from Vaughn's book reminds me of my father. Because of the culture he grew up in, he has somewhat of a distrust toward doctors and the medications they prescribe. That's not to say that he doesn't go to the doctor, but he also does a lot of research on the internet and is very into holistic and natural treatments. This meant that growing up, I often watched my father take different natural supplements to cure what ailed him. Growing up in that environment definitely effected how I look at medicine and treatments. I know that my dad thinks the way he does because of his culture.

A final issue to be discussed is how the health of individuals is effected by their culture. While reading Vaughn's book, I came across four factors that Helman says people attribute the cause of their illness to. The first of these factors says: "Factors within individuals themselves such as bad habits or negative emotional states" (Vaughn p.136). I can relate to this factor because I have some bad habits that have been created by my culture that admittedly effect my health. One of these habits is that I tend to procrastinate on homework due for my classes, which means I end up staying up pretty late sometimes just to get my work finished on time. This lack of sleep leads to increased stress levels, as well as sometimes just making me feel sort of sick. If I didn't procrastinate so much, I wouldn't have this problem. While I know that choosing to procrastinate is completely my choice, I do have to say that my culture has made me feel as though my choice to procrastinate isn't out of the ordinary or really even that bad. Everyone does is and we tend to do just fine in our classes. This bad habit is a result of the culture that I live in, and it definitely does effect my health.

Overall, culture very greatly effects people's health, in the ways I mentioned, as well as many others ways that I didn't discuss. Understanding some of the different ways that culture can effect people can lead to people having fewer health problems because of issues created by their culture. Who doesn't want a healthier world?