Dietary
A patient's knowledge of nutrition and diet are essential to their ability to regulate their own health. Therefore, it is the job of the doctor or other healthcare provider to discuss methods of maintaining a healthy diet and eating nutritious foods with their patients.
The language barrier makes it difficult oftentimes to explain certain concepts of nutrition in American terms. For instance, a recent report by the Office of the Surgeon General entitled "Physical Activity and Health" outlines how different levels of exercise can decrease one's risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, colon cancer and heart disease, as well as improve skeletal and muscle systems and control weight. However, it may prove difficult for doctors to speak of such concepts as diabetes and high blood pressure when their patients may come from a culture that is unfamiliar with these medical terms, or they cannot be easily translated into the patient's native language.
Healthcare providers must also be sensitive to the varying foods that people in a specific culture may prefer, either from belief or just simple taste and custom. For general information pertaining to the preferred diets of several different ethnic groups, refer to Old ways Preservation and Exchange Trust at http://www.oldwayspt.org
Dietary Issues of Relevance:
The "Hot and Cold" or "Yin and Yang" Theories:: In some cultures, including many Asian and Latin American cultures, people classify different foods as hot or cold, or yin or yang, and a person's preference for a particular type of food may depend upon the season, the weather, or that individual's internal balance. These classifications refer not necessarily to the spiciness of the food, its energy value, or the temperature at which it is served, but to its effect on the body (Galanti 1997, p.58).
Kosher and Fasting Requirements of Certain Cultures: Members of some cultures follow a strict Kosher regimen, and it is important that healthcare providers familiarize themselves with these Kosher laws. Pork is strictly forbidden, for instance, among Jews and Muslims, and Orthodox Jews prohibit mixing meat and dairy products, either in the same meal or by using the same dishware for both foods (ibid, p.56). Judaism and Islam also require days of fasting for purposes of repentance and purification, and it is helpful if medical providers know when these days occur and how they may affect the health of their patients.
Cultural Diversity
