How do cultural and subcultural identifications influence health?
They help define an individual and influence beliefs about health/illness, coping mechanisms, and wellness behaviors.
What are determinants of health?
Personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence an individual’s health status.
What do the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) provide?
A blueprint to improve quality of care and eliminate health disparities in culturally diverse populations.
What is linguistic competence in health care?
Ensuring patients who do not speak English receive care in a language they understand, often through interpreters.
What does culture include?
Attitudes, beliefs, self-definitions, norms, roles, and values—expressed verbally and nonverbally.
What is socialization/enculturation?
The process of being raised within a culture and acquiring the group’s characteristics.
What are the four characteristics of culture?
1) Learned from birth through language/socialization. 2) Shared by all members of a cultural group. 3) Adapted to environmental/technical conditions. 4) Dynamic and ever changing.
What is race?
A means of self-identification referring to people who share similar physical characteristics.
What is ethnicity?
Membership in a social group with a common origin, religion, race, language, values, traditions, or food preferences.
How does religion differ from spirituality?
Religion = organized system of beliefs with regular practices; spirituality = broader connection to something larger than oneself and belief in transcendence.
How are health and illness meanings determined?
By how members of a person’s culture define them.
What are the three culturally based views of illness causation?
Biomedical (scientific), naturalistic (holistic), and magicoreligious.
What do all cultures have regarding health?
Preferred healers, recognized symptoms, acceptable sick-role behaviors, and treatments.
Where might patients seek help besides biomedical professionals?
From traditional healers, home treatments, complementary/alternative therapies, and cultural/religious healers.
What should you do before completing a patient’s cultural assessment?
List your own values, attitudes, and beliefs, and answer the FICA questions.
What domains should be included in a cultural care assessment?
Heritage, health practices, communication, family roles/social orientation, nutrition, pregnancy/birth/childrearing, spirituality/religion, death, and role of health providers.
What does FICA stand for in the FICA Spiritual History Tool?
Faith, Importance/Influence, Community, and Address/Action.
How should the FICA tool be used?
As a guide for open dialogue with patients, not as a checklist of questions.
