Cultural Empowerment Module3 Discussion

Relationships and Expectations 1

OBESITY 6

Nurse Manager

Jaydin Davis

Trident University International

BHE414 Cross Cultural Health Perspectives

Module 2 Relationships and Expectations SLP

Dr. Leandra Hernandez

October 28, 2018

Obesity

Obesity is a disorder characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat that increases the risks of other health problems. In the American situation, the Hispanic populations along with the other minority groups are highly affected by such lifestyle disorders. The primary reasons behind the incidence and prevalence of obesity among the Hispanics are mainly associated with their cultural inclinations, dietary adaptations and behavioral factors such as low levels of education as well as the lack of health cover and insurance (Flegal et al., 2016). It is also critical to note that the Hispanics are characterized by culturally infused diets, portion control, learned dietary behaviors, life events and mental disorders such as depression. These behaviors are critical in establishing the reasons for obesity. This paper explores the relationships and expectations of the PEN-3 model factors for the Hispanic population.

Relationship and Expectation

In order to achieve a successful application of cultural enablement, ecological and social inclinations must be properly assessed and evaluated among the Hispanics. This is because it can affect how the family or the society functions as a whole and the interventions to implement (Flegal et al., 2016). To address this, an effective program must be implemented to primarily focus on education and training to encourage the use of the interventions and available services to remedy the obesity situation. To address relationships and expectations the factors of the PEN-3 model are analyzed below.

Perceptions

Perceptions refer to the way that something that is regarded interpreted and understood by society. For example, people’s views of the “perfect” weight and shape of the body are critical culturally factors. This means that the process of weight loss is affected by the cultural and societal inclination of a good or perfect body. This affects the health concerns that are aimed to reduce the obesity epidemic among the Hispanics (Flegal et al., 2016). However, there is evidence that Hispanic women specifically chose a fat body type as the best thing for their children as it portrays overall health and vitality. This myth also associates being thin with poverty and increased vulnerability to disease (Lindberg, 2013). The cultural inclination and association of plumb bodies with healthy individuals. This association is misinformed and can result in more serious health problems.

Enablers

In the case of obesity interventions, the primary enablers include factors associated with cultural identity such as the family relationships which are established with the providers. It is important to note that provider-patient interactions and communications are extremely valuable in aiding patients to adhere to any of the given guidelines that foster weight loss related remedies and strategies.

These guidelines are not specifically designed to address weight loss they are also designed to help people achieve better or healthier lifestyles and make good lifestyle choices. This is because addressing weight loss alone does not provide a way to manage the obesity problem from the root. In other words with weight loss, emerging cases are not handled until they are noticed. Another critical enabler is accessibility to healthcare facilities; most Hispanics face the accessibility problem mainly because the majority of Hispanics are not well-educated while others are immigrants without proper documentation which affects their ability to acquire proper insurance covers.

Nurtures

Nurturers can be categorized into many divisions due to the culture. For instance, the family structure among the Hispanics is a critical component of society. The Hispanics are characterized as a close-knit population. Sometimes members of a family look upon a member of the family who suffers from obesity or risks of obesity. Sometimes these members suffer from other chronic implicated by obesity such as heart problems and high blood pressure. In this context, the affected members are considered a support group (Adams et al., 2016). In the same context, the Hispanic communities have strong spiritual inclinations. Therefore people can rely on guidance from the spiritual leaders who are educated on the issue. This allows for the members of the family to have a point of reference and advice when faced by such problems. Lastly, on nurtures, the family or members of the family can be turned to a highly effective support group for therapy and adherence. In Hispanic cultures, the older males are considered heads of the other members and are required to make or offer their opinion when it comes to health-related issues. The other members must follow the guidance given (Adams et al., 2016).

The adherence to a given healthy diets challenges the interventions this is because the majority of the Hispanics are culturally inclined to consume culturally infused diets and most important the adaptation of new diets (Adams et al., 2016). A good example is a trend for the majority of young adults to adopt the consumption of large quantities of processed American foods. These foods are also regarded as junk food. The consumption of these foods increases the cholesterol and fat levels in the body. This results in other obesity-related implications. Considering that Hispanics are immigrants the adaptation of these diets can be used as an educating point. The interventions should consider the provision of educational demonstrations of why the Latinos such as the Mexicans have a higher risk incidence for diabetes and health complications such as unstable blood pressure due to obesity (Adams et al., 2016). The consideration of the PEN-3 factors stated and explained above gives the program an upper hand in finding long-lasting solutions to address the increasing rates of obesity among the Hispanics. It is therefore critical to try and address the Hispanic obesity problem by putting these factors into consideration. Cultural Empowerment Module3 Discussion

References

Adams, J., Mytton, O., White, M., & Monsivais, P. (2016). Why are some population interventions for diet and obesity more equitable and effective than others? The role of the individual agency. PLoS medicine, 13(4), e1001990.

Flegal, K. M., Kruszon-Moran, D., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Ogden, C. L. (2016). Trends in obesity among adults in the United States, 2005 to 2014. Jama, 315(21), 2284-2291.

Lindberg, N. M., Stevens, V. J., & Halperin, R. O. (2013). Weight-Loss Interventions for Hispanic Populations: The Role of Culture. Journal of Obesity, 2013, 542736