Filipino Culture Values and Practices in Relation To Health Care of Individual and Family.

 

Filipino Culture, Values and Practices in Relation to Health Care of Individual and Family.

Objective:  At the end end of this this lesson, you you are expected expected to be able to do the following: following: 

 Appreciate the Filipino  Appreciate Filipino Culture, Culture, Values and and Practices Practices in Relation Relation to Health Health Care of Individual and Family.

1. By showing fondness or affection when meeting a baby for the first time, you may cause the baby to feel uneasy or make the baby cry non-stop which is commonly referred to as "na-usog." 



This belief in usog can cause an infant to feel unwell either by greeting the baby or simply by being overly fond of him or her when meeting the child for the first time. To avoid passing the negative energy and cure the infant of usog, superstition practice says you must dab your saliva on the baby’s forehead or abdomen.

Often, most people would also greet the child by saying “pwera usog” meaning protection from the hex. Some even make it a point to buy their child a bracelet made from black and red or coral beads to fight usog. logical explanation: for babies feeling unwell after meeting strangers’ infant reacts to a stress trigger of seeing unfamiliar faces or people—resulting in anxiety to the baby; fear of stranger 



2. Get rid of a hiccup by placing a short thread wet with saliva on the forehead. Several factors can cause hiccups, including swallowing air and eating or drinking too much or too fast. Remedies: bite on a slice of lemon, slowly sip ice-cold water while placing gentle pressure on your nose as you swallow, or hold your breath for a short time. Stay away from carbonated drinks, eating slower, and consuming smaller meals.





3. Going to bed right after a shower is believed to cause blindness and insanity. 



there is no firm correlation between wet hair, loss of eyesight, and insanity, so avoiding sleeping with wet hair is mostly for cosmetic reasons. Rubbing wet hair against your pillow can cause hair damage or breakage. The friction will also lead to you having to deal with a bad hair day the next morning. If you notice alarming symptoms of vision loss or a mental health issue, it’s best to visit an eye doctor  or a trusted outpatient care facility and let a medical professional handle it.

4. stepping over a child will stunt his or her growth.  

no evidence confirms this specific pamahiin to be true. the growth of a child depends on various factors that influence development, including nutrition, genes, sex, hormones, and socioeconomic status.

 

Understanding the culture, health care beliefs, and practices of Filipinos is important, as it affects the way nurses assess the needs and provide care for their clients. Please read and understand the topic below. A. Family Solidarity Solidarity is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It refers to the ties in a society that bind people together as one. Commonly termed as the “Pusong Pinoy” or the “Bayanihan Spirit”. Bayanihan is a core essence of the Filipino culture. It is helping out one’s neighbor as a community, and doing a task together, thus lessening the workload and making the job easier. It is also called the ‘community spirit’ and best exhibited when people wish to move locations in the rural area.

B. Filipino Family Values. a. Communication Filipinos are fond of non-verbal communications. They use hand gestures, pursing of lips, raising of eyebrows and their eyes to communicate. They are less dependent on spoken words. When responding to a request or a favor, Filipinos generally struggle with saying “no” for fear of hurting other people's feelings b. Helping Others and Gratitude (Pakikisama at Utang na Loob) Filipinos get along with different kinds of people. They can easily adjust to any situation and are flexible. This trait fosters cooperation, good and helpful deeds. When their neighbors are in trouble, they will help them in whatever they can. They also do not let their family members go through hard times alone, instead, they help each other. c. Respect One of the precious things’ Filipinos have is that they are respectful. Young, youth, people in all ages know how to show respect and courtesy. Some ways to show them are the use of “Po at Opo”, “Pagmamano” or putting the back of an elder’s hand on our forehead, and calling our older siblings or elders Ate or Kuya. d. Independence e. Service f. Trust

 

C. Filipino Family Culture and Traditions.  

Health Beliefs and Behaviors: Indigenous Health Beliefs

Concept of Balance (Timbang) This concept is central to Filipino self-care practices and is applied to all social relationships and encounters. According to this principle, health is thought to be a result of balance, while illness due to humoral pathology and stress is usually the result of some imbalance. Rapid shifts from “hot” to “cold” cause illness and disorder. Illustrated below are a range of humoral balances that influence Filipino health perceptions:         

 

Rapid shifts from “hot” to “cold” lead to illness  “Warm” environment is essential for maintaining optimal health Cold drinks or cooling foods should be avoided in the morning  An overheated overheated body body is vulnerable vulnerable to disease; disease; a heated body body can get “shocked” “shocked” When cooled quickly, it can cause illness  A layer of fat maintains warmth, protecting the body’s vital energy  Imbalance from worry and overwork create stress and illness  Emotional restraint is a key element in restoring balance  A sense of of balance balance imparts increased increased body body awareness awareness (Adapted (Adapted from Becker,2003). Becker,2003).

Health Beliefs and Behaviors: Theories of Illness

Physical and mental health and illness are viewed holistically as an equilibrium model. In contrast, other explanatory models may include mystical, personalistic and naturalistic causes of  illness or disease Mystical Causes Mystical causes are often attributed to experiences or behaviors such as ancestral retribution for  unfinished tasks or obligations. Some believe that the soul goes out from the body and wanders, a phenomenon known as Bangungot, or that having nightmares after a heavy meal may result in death. Personalistic Causes Personalistic causes are associated with social punishment or retribution from supernatural forces such as evil spirit, witch (Manga ga mud) or sorcerer (mangkukulam). The forces cast these spells on people if they are jealous or feel disliked. Witch doctors (Herbularyo) or priests are asked to counteract and cast out these evil forces through the use of prayers, incantations, medicinal herbs and plants. For protection the healer may recommend using holy oils, or wearing religious objects, amulets or talismans (anting anting). Naturalistic Causes Naturalistic causes include a host of factors ranging from natural forces (thunder, lightning, drafts, etc.) to excessive stress, food and drug incompatibility, infection, or familial susceptibility.

 

 

Health Beliefs and Behaviors: Basic Logic of Health and Illness

The basic logic of health and illness consists of prevention (avoiding inappropriate behavior that leads to imbalance) and curing (restoring balance); it is a system oriented to moderation. Parallel to this holistic belief system is the understanding of modern medicine with its own basic logic and principles for treating certain types of diseases. These two systems co-exist, and Filipino older adults use a dual system of health care.  

Health Beliefs and Behaviors: Health Promotion/Treatment Concepts

Health beliefs and practices are oriented towards protection of the body. Flushing The body is thought to be a vessel or container that collects and eliminates impurities through physiological processes such as sweating, vomiting, expelling gas, or having an appropriate volume of menstrual bleeding. Heating  Adapts the the concept concept of balance balance between between “hot” “hot” and “cold” “cold” to prevent prevent occurrence occurrence of illness illness and disorders. Protection Safeguards the body’s boundaries from outside influences such as supernatural and natural forces.

 

Health Beliefs and Behaviors: Health Behaviors

Response to Illness Filipino older adults tend to cope with illness with the help of family and friends, and by faith in God. Complete cure or even the slightest improvement in a malady or illness is viewed as a miracle. Filipino families greatly influence patients’ decisions about health care. Patients subjugate personal needs and tend to go along with the demands of a more authoritative family figure in order to maintain group harmony. Before seeking professional help, Filipino older adults tend to manage their illnesses by self-monitoring of symptoms, ascertaining possible causes, determining the severity and threat to functional capacity, and considering the financial and emotional burden to the family. “Seeking medical advice from family members or friends who are health professionals is also a common practice among Filipino older adults and their family members, especially if severe somatic symptoms arise.” They may even resort to utilizing traditional home remedies such as alternative or complementary means of treatment. They may discuss their concern with a trusted family member, friend, spiritual counselor or healer (Yeo, 1998). Seeking medical advice from family members or friends who are health professionals is also a common practice among Filipino older adults and their family members, especially if severe somatic symptoms arise (Anderson, 1983).

 

Coping Styles Coping styles common among elderly Filipino Americans in times of illness or crisis include:    



Patience and Endurance (Tiyaga): the ability to tolerate uncertain situations Flexibility (Lakas ng Loob): being respectful and honest with oneself  Humor (Tatawanan ang problema): the capacity to laugh at oneself in times of adversity Fatalistic Resignation (Bahala Na): the view that illness and suffering are the unavoidable and predestined will of God, in which the patient, family members and even the physician should not interfere Conceding to the wishes of the collective (Pakikisama) to maintain group Harmony Responses to Mental Illness

Indigenous traits common among elderly Filipino Americans when faced with illness related to mental conditions: • Devastating shame (Hiya) • Sensitivity to criticism (Amor Propio) Common Perceptions of Filipinos about Mental Illness 





 



  

Unwillingness to accept having mental illness, which leads to the avoidance of needed mental health services due to fear of being ridiculed Involvement of other coping resources such as reliance on family and friends or indigenous healers, and dependence on religion which can diminish the need for mental health services Prioritizing of financial and environmental needs which preclude the need for mental health services Limited awareness of mental health services resulting in limiting access Difficulty in utilizing mental health services during usual hours because of the unavailability of working adult family members Mental illness connotes a weak spirit, and may be attributed to divine retributionas a consequence of personal and ancestral transgression Lack of culturally oriented mental health services Though such coping mechanisms, perceptions and traits may help elderly Filipino  Americans adjust initially initially to their illnesses, illnesses, these these tactics also pose pose barriers and and impede implementation of necessary treatment intervention in a timely fashion.