How social & cultural factors are related to health & illness?

Ans:   The way social and cultural factors related to health:

Health is a cultural concept because culture frames and shapes how we perceive the world and our experiences. Along with other determinants of health and disease, culture helps to define:

• How patients and health care providers view health and illness.
• What patients and health care providers believe about the causes of disease. For example, some patients are unaware of germ theory and may instead believe in fatalism, a djinn (in rural Afghanistan, an evil spirit that seizes infants and is responsible for tetanus-like illness), the 'evil eye', or a demon. They may not accept a diagnosis and may even believe they cannot change the course of events. Instead, they can only accept circumstances as they unfold.
• Which diseases or conditions are stigmatized and why. In many cultures, depression is a common stigma and seeing a psychiatrist means a person is “crazy”.
• What types of health promotion activities are practiced, recommended or insured. In some cultures being “strong” (or what Canadians would consider “overweight”) means having a store of energy against famine, and “strong” women are desirable and healthy.
• How illness and pain are experienced and expressed. In some cultures, stoicism is the norm, even in the face of severe pain. In other cultures, people openly express moderately painful feelings. The degree to which pain should be investigated or treated may differ.
• Where patients seek help, how they ask for help and, perhaps, when they make their first approach. Some cultures tend to consult allied health care providers first, saving a visit to the doctor for when a problem becomes severe.
• Patient interaction with health care providers. For example, not making direct eye contact is a sign of respect in many cultures, but a care provider may wonder if the same behavior means her patient is depressed.
• The degree of understanding and compliance with treatment options recommended by health care providers who do not share their cultural beliefs. Some patients believe that a physician who doesn’t give an injection may not be taking their symptoms seriously.
• How patients and providers perceive chronic disease and various treatment options.

Culture also affects health in other ways, such as:

• Acceptance of a diagnosis, including who should be told, when and how.
• Acceptance of preventive or health promotion measures (e.g., vaccines, prenatal care, birth control, screening tests, etc.).
• Perception of the amount of control individuals have in preventing and controlling disease.
• Perceptions of death, dying and who should be involved.
• Use of direct versus indirect communication. Making or avoiding eye contact can be viewed as rude or polite, depending on culture.
• Willingness to discuss symptoms with a health care provider, or with an interpreter being present.
• Influence of family dynamics, including traditional gender roles, filial responsibilities, and patterns of support among family members.
• Perceptions of youth and aging.
• How accessible the health system is, as well as how well it functions

The way social and cultural factors related to illness:

Social and cultural factors related to illness of health that can affect your health and well-being. There are many others. They include:

• Access to nutritious foods.
• Access to clean water and working utilities (electricity, sanitation, heating, and cooling).
• Early childhood social and physical environments, including childcare.
• Ethnicity and culture.
• Family and other social support.
• Gender.
• Language and other communication capabilities.
• Occupation and job security.
• Sexual identification.
• Social status (how integrated or isolated you are from others).
• Social stressors, such as exposure to violence.
• Socioeconomic status.
• Spiritual/religious values.