Cultural Values and Political Economic Contexts of Diabetes Among Low-Income Mexican Americans

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Clark ◽  
Deborah Vincent ◽  
Lorena Zimmer ◽  
Jessica Sanchez
2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 358-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cha-Nam Shin ◽  
Elizabeth Reifsnider ◽  
Darya McClain ◽  
Mihyun Jeong ◽  
David P. McCormick ◽  
...  

Background: Most Hispanic infants are fed formula during the first 6 weeks, and although 80% of Hispanic women initiate breastfeeding, rates of exclusive breastfeeding are much lower. Research aim: The purpose was to examine the influence of acculturation and cultural values on the breastfeeding practices of pregnant women of Mexican descent participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children who were enrolled in a prospective randomized clinical trial that aimed to reduce child obesity. The data were abstracted from a larger randomized clinical trial focused on prevention of child obesity. Methods: The sample consisted of 150 women of Mexican origin who were enrolled at the time of these analyses from the randomized clinical trial and had a prepregnancy body mass index of ≥ 25 and spoke English and/or Spanish. All breastfeeding data for this report came from data collection at 1 month postpartum. Results: A higher score on the Anglo orientation scale of the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans was associated with less breastfeeding at 1 month postpartum and less exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: Acculturation plays a role in breastfeeding practice. Exploring acculturation associated with breastfeeding can guide us to design culturally relevant interventions to promote breastfeeding exclusivity among immigrant mothers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asim Faraz ◽  
Muhammad Younas ◽  
Carlos Iglesias Pastrana ◽  
Abdul Waheed ◽  
Nasir Ali Tauqir ◽  
...  

AbstractThe present research is aimed to evaluate the diverse husbandry practices, ethno-veterinary practices, socio-economic status and distressing constraints of camel pastoralists inhabiting desert (Thal) areas of Pakistan, where they maintain herds of Marecha and Barela dromedaries in extensive production regimes. For this purpose, 200 pastoralists were selected at random to fill out an on-site questionnaire. According to the farmers’ responses, it was perceived that their living status had improved in the last decades due to the progressive optimization of camel productivity and herdsmen responsiveness. In contrast, calf mortality rates, some traditional husbandry practices and the lack of market investments continued to be the major constraints affecting camel overall production. Ethno-veterinary medicines are widely applied as primary health care, thus influencing the general health, production potentials and relief of camels in the study region. With this scenario, concerned stakeholders and authorized institutions must re-evaluate the urgent needs of indigenous communities; their education and husbandry skills to promote economic/ financial support in low-income remote areas. In turn, traditional communities will be adapted to the changing socio-economic and cultural values with regard to camel husbandry and welfare. Current societal perceptions and demands within this livestock production industry, where camels are conceived as a sustainable food security animal, if accomplished to the highest possible extent, will increase effectiveness of the camel value chain and breeders’ quality of life will be noticeably enhanced. However, this success could be multiplied if government may devise community education, veterinary cover, marketing facilitates and interest-free small loans for pastoralists.


1994 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terri Schwab ◽  
Julie Meyer ◽  
Rosa Merrell

Adherence to the treatment regimen for patients with diabetes is of major concern to healthcare practitioners, particularly when dealing with the high-risk, low-income, Mexican-American population. Assessing the attitudes and beliefs of this group is vital for planning effective and realistic intervention strategies. Therefore, we designed a culturally sensitive instrument to measure health beliefs and attitudes of low-income Mexican Americans with diabetes. The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used as a basis for this study because it is well accepted as a predictor of health-related behaviors. However, we found that the HBM was not an effective tool for assessing the health beliefs or attitudes of this patient population even after rigorous efforts to operationalize the HBM and after conducting extensive statistical analyses. Only two of the five subscales of the traditional HBM, barriers and benefits, were reliable. Scales to measure acculturation and fatalism were added to increase the cultural sensitivity of the tool. These added components were found to be an important variable in interpreting the results for low-income Mexican-American patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Dawn Cozett ◽  
Janet Condy

<p>The purpose of this study was to find out how parents can contribute to the early reading development of children in a Grade R class. The research was conducted in a low-income area in the Cape Flats. To gain a deeper understanding of the parents’ cultural values and aspirations when interacting with the Home-School Partnership Programme (HSPP) literacy programme, I elected to frame my study within the work of Paulo Freire, who argued that the purpose of education, at the time of his writing, was to make oppressed people passive. Qualitative data were gathered in a case study research design, utilising focus group interviews and semistructured questionnaire tools, as well as footage from a local broadcasting studio. The findings show that the parents, who were previously unable to assist their children with literacy skills at home, were keen to change and to be active partners in their children’s early literacy learning. This research is a descriptive example of how the home, the school and the community can collaborate in a meaningful and sustained way, especially in poverty-stricken areas where unemployment is rife.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>case study, Grade R, literacy, parents; Paulo Freire; poverty; qualitative</p>


2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 300-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiwi Tamasese ◽  
Carmel Peteru ◽  
Charles Waldegrave ◽  
Allister Bush

Objectives: The first objective was to develop a culturally appropriate research method to investigate Samoan perspectives on mental health issues. The second objective was to apply this to identify cultural values and understandings important in the care and treatment of Samoan people with mental health problems. Method: Gender-specific focus groups consisting of Samoan elders and service providers were facilitated by Samoan researchers in the Samoan language. Systematic analysis of the transcripts, adapted to the cultural context, were conducted in Samoan and later translated into English. Results: A culturally derived method, referred to as Fa'afaletui, reflecting Samoan communal values and familiar institutional structures within the community, allowed each focus group to come to a consensual view on issues discussed. The Samoan self was identified as an essential concept for understanding Samoan views of mental health. This self was described as a relational self and mental wellness as a state of relational harmony, where personal elements of spiritual, mental and physical are in balance. Mental ill health was sometimes linked to breaches of forbidden and sacred relationships, which could be addressed effectively only within protocols laid down in the culture. Additional stressors contributing to mental ill-health were identified as low income, unemployment, rising housing costs and the marginalization of Samoan cultural norms in New Zealand. Participants identified the need for a culturally based mental health service for Samoan people to address key cultural factors. Conclusions: The Fa'afaletui method is a new research method which is sensitive and responsive to Samoan cultural norms and is methodologically rigorous. Such an approach may be relevant for other Pacific Island cultures and other cultures, which have a strong emphasis on collectivity. The Samoan concept of self provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the mental health needs of Samoan people and a basis for developing appropriate services.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina M. Gill ◽  
Saira A. Khan ◽  
Robert T. Jackson ◽  
Marguerite Duane

The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and its risk components and then compare differences in the risk components among low-income, uninsured Central and South American recent immigrants to the USA. This cross-sectional survey sampled 1,042 adult patients from a medical clinic in metropolitan Washington, DC. The overall prevalence of the MetS was 26.9% estimated using the modified harmonized definition. The most common abnormal metabolic indicator for women was an elevated BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2(36.1%), while, for men, it was an elevated triglyceride level (46.5%). The risk of abnormal MetS indicators increased steadily with increasing BMI. The abnormal indicator combination identifying the most subjects with the MetS included the following: high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and obesity. MetS rates were highest among subjects from El Salvador and Honduras, 31.3% and 28.0%, respectively, and lowest among subjects from Bolivia (21.7%). Dyslipidemia and high BMI increased the likelihood of having the MetS, which is consistent with studies on Mexican Americans in the San Antonio Heart Study and studies within Central and South American countries. This study adds new baseline epidemiological data for largely understudied, low-income, and mostly recent immigrant groups.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1038-1044
Author(s):  
Jennifer Cullen ◽  
Jolynn L. Haney ◽  
Linda Houser ◽  
Jun Cao ◽  
Xi Mi

China has a long and complex history of political, economic, and educational shifts that have resulted in and from changing cultural values. Over time, the significance and format of social work education in China has changed, as has the need for professionally educated social workers that can support the ever-evolving social needs of China. To this end, some Chinese schools have begun to partner with schools in the U.S. to support the professionalizing of social work in China. This article presents the reflections of faculty and students involved in an exchange program for Chinese students to study in a U.S.-based master of social work program. Expectations, realities, needs, and recommendations of both faculty and students are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (01) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Dhika Yuan Yurisma ◽  
Muhammad Bahruddin

ABSTRACT This research attempts to dismantle the meaning in the Ponogogo Reog symbol by using Javanese tradition studies, both in asthabrata teachings and Javanese cosmogony: keblat papat kelimo pancer. This research is important because not many people understand the meaning contained in the Reog symbols. On the other hand, the Reog symbols are now being reduced by the interests of commercialism so as to eliminate the valuable values in them. This can be seen in the use of Reog symbols which are used as a citybranding media in the city of Ponorogo and performances that come out of the standards Reog tradition. Reog's art has turned into a commodity that is traded to the market. This study uses qualitative methods using a critical paradigm. A paradigm that assesses social reality is not a neutral reality, but is deliberately shaped by and for political, economic, and social interests that are dominated by dominant groups in society by collecting data through observation and in-depth interviews with experts in the field of Javanese culture, specifically about Reog to obtain the meaning of the Reog Ponorogo symbol from Javanese tradition. The results of this study describe the meaning in the Reog symbol and see the development of traditional Javanese art is reduced by market interests. The symbols in Reog Ponorogo have meanings related to lust that exists in humans. Symbolization in Reog's art forms valuable meanings and values in society. in general, Reog Ponorogo is a show that can provide guidance in living life for those who see it or understand it deeply. Reog is no longer an art and culture that requires special rituals in every performance but is commodified into a commercial merchandise. At this stage, Reog's products are adjusted to market demands with market standards as well. Products related to Reog are then mass-produced and even made replicas that resemble Reog. Keywords: Reog, Ponorogo, Symbols, Meanings, Cultural Values, Commodities ABSTRAK Penelitian ini berusaha membongkar makna dalam simbol Reog Ponorogo dengan menggunakan kajian tradisi Jawa, baik dalam ajaran asthabrata maupun kosmogoni Jawa: keblat papat kelimo pancer.Penelitian in penting karena tidak banyak masyarakat memahami makna yang terkandung dalam simbol-simbol Reog. Di sisi lain, simbol-simbol Reog saat ini mulai direduksi oleh kepentingan komersialisme sehingga menghilangkan nilainilai adiluhung di dalamnya.Hal ini tampak dalam penggunaan simbol-simbol Reog yang digunakan sebagai media citybranding kota Ponorogo maupun pertunjukan-pertunjukan yang keluar dari pakem-pakem tradisi Reog. Seni Reog berubah menjadi sebuah komoditas yang diperdagangkan ke pasar. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan menggunakan paradigma kritis. Sebuah paradigma yang menilai realitas sosial bukan sebagai sebuah realitas yang netral, melainkan sengaja dibentuk oleh dan untuk kepentingan politik, ekonomi, dan sosial yang dikuasai oleh kelompok-kelompok yang dominan dalam masyarakat dengan pengumpulan data melalui observasi dan wawancara mendalam kepada ahli bidang kebudayaan Jawa, khususnya tentang Reog untuk memperoleh makna-makna simbol Reog Ponorogo dari tradisi Jawa. Hasil dari penelitian ini mendiskripsikan makna dalam simbol Reog sekaligus melihat perkembangan seni tradisional Jawa ini tereduksi oleh kepentingan pasar. Simbol-simbol dalam Reog Ponorogo memiliki makna terkait dengan nafsu yang ada dalam diri manusia. Simbolisasi dalam kesenian Reog membentuk makna-makna dan nilai-nilai adiluhung di masyarakat. secara umum, Reog Ponorogo merupakan sebuah pertunjukan yang bisa memberikan tuntunan dalam menjalani kehidupan bagi yang melihatnya atau mengerti secara mendalam. Reog bukan lagi sebuah seni budaya yang memerlukan ritual khusus dalam setiap pertunjukan melainkan dikomodifikasi menjadi sebuah barang dagangan yang dikomersialkan. Pada tahapan ini, produk Reog disesuaikan dengan permintaan pasar dengan standar-standar pasar pula. Produk-produk yang berkaitan dengan Reog kemudian diproduksi secara massal bahkan dibuat replika-replika yang menyerupai Reog. Kata Kunci: Reog, Ponorogo, Simbol, Makna, Nilai Budaya, Komoditas


Author(s):  
Roy Valenzuela ◽  
Alma Morales ◽  
Jon Sheen ◽  
Sylvia Rangel ◽  
Jennifer J. Salinas

Abstract Although cancer is the leading cause of death among Mexican-Americans, few community-based programs target obesity reduction as a way to reduce the prevalence of obesity-related cancer in underserved populations. Evidence suggests that obesity correlates with 13 types of cancer. The objective is to provide an overview of evaluation and selection of evidence-based content; details of the implementation process; modifications needed to tailor education programs to specific needs of different target audiences; and demonstrate challenges of implementing a community-based prevention program intended to reduce cancer incidence and mortality in Mexican-Americans. We used the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to develop a 10-topic menu of educational classes using elements of multiple evidence-based curricula. Outcome measures for physical activity and nutrition were determined using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Dietary Screener Questionnaire (DSQ). Weight status was determined using weight, body fat, and body mass index (BMI). To date, 2845 adults received wellness education from our program. Multiple delivery models were used to reach a larger audience; they included a 4-week model, 5-week model, employer model, low-income housing, 1- and 2-h sessions, and clinic encounters. Individuals were given education at multiple community locations including senior centers (14%), churches (0.6%), employers (17.6%), low-income housing (8.2%), community centers (16.6%), clinics (11.5%), and schools (32.5%). Our study indicates that our delivery model is feasible and can disseminate evidence-based obesity education. Further investigation is necessary to assess long-term behavioral change and to assess the most effective model for delivery.


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