Chinese Cultural Practices and Health Issues - Research Paper Example

Chinese Cultural Practices and Health Issues There have been many debates on how culture influences health provision. Culture affects people and determines how they perceive healthcare and disease. Culture determines people’s beliefs regarding health care. Additionally, culture dictates eating habits as well as perceptions about exercise, which affect health status of individual. Chinese culture, which will be analyzed in this paper, dictates the way the Chinese perceive health and diseases. Introduction Little is known about the perspectives of Chinese on health care. I thus decided to interview a Chinese family since I live in an area where several Chinese families have settled. After interviewing the members of the Chinese family, I realized there are numerous misconceptions about the Chinese culture, practices, and family organization. The family has been in the United States for two generations, but none of the members has intermarried with other cultures. The family I interviewed comprises both parents and their five children. This paper is a comparison of the information in books with the local practices of the Chinese people. There is a misconception that Chinese can barely speak English. Although Chinese have limited English proficiency, some of them can communicate considerably well. However, I noticed they have a tendency of using Mandarin even in the presence of persons who do not understand it. Additionally, though some can speak some English, they have poor understanding capability. As we spoke, I realized that they would frequently misunderstand me. However, when discussing issues regarding their culture, they would understand better than when discussing other issues (Ngo-Metzger, et al., 2003; Rastogi, 2002). There is a misconception that the Chinese people do not take a stand in an issue or they are shy. On the contrary, I realized this is not true. In the short period I spent with them, they disclosed a lot of information regarding their past. They would freely talk about their social life. Like explained in the books, the Chinese culture stresses the dedication to family and traditions. I realized that they have some disregard to individualism. They have a tendency of shielding a sick family member from accessing bad medical news. They told me of an example that one of their family member died of cancer without ever knowing what she was suffering from. They argued that disclosing such news to her would only have made matters worse since she was still too young. While dealing with Chinese, it is thus important to ask them of the persons who can make decisions on their behalf. This is because they tend to be quite secretive on their health matters (Nie, 2011; Ngo-Metzger, et al., 2003). Another issue discussed in the book which is truthful about the Chinese culture is on surgery. When I asked the Chinese about their views on surgery, the claimed that they would have to consult with the family members before deciding whether to undergo a surgery. They have great regard for their body parts and are quite opposed to surgical processes such as total removal of organs such as uterus. They thus require plenty of time before making such decisions (Ngo-Metzger, et al., 2003). Another thing that is truthful about the Chinese is that their body language is quite different from that of Americans. A sign like nodding might mean that she or he heard you as opposed to being an approval. Sometimes I would ask a question and they would nod and then give a negative answer, which meant that the nodding was not an approval but a sign that they heard. However, I noticed that there is a misconception that all Chinese avoid eye contact. During my interview, one of the family members avoided eye contact. Additionally, I noticed that the Chinese avoid giving no for an answer. When I inquired about it, they said that it is rude and it was better to give a negative explanation without having to reject a proposal directly (Nie, 2011). Just like claimed in the textbooks, Chinese are quite sensitive while dealing with the opposite sex. When asked how she perceives the treatment procedures in the United States, she claimed that she dislikes the fact that hospitals allow male gynecologists to examine female patients. She claimed that she once went for a pelvic exam and the male doctor did not bother to ask if she preferred being examined by him. Chinese female tend to be modest on matters regarding reproductive health (Ngo-Metzger, et al., 2003). During the interview, I noticed that the ill and pregnant people tend to be treated as sick. They thus heavily depend on other members of the family. Pregnant women would thus feel uncared for if required to be independent. The traditional family structure is highly regarded, and the old are supposed to be cared for by young members of the family (Nie, 2011). While we were having dinner, I noticed that the Chinese have great regard for diet. They are greatly concerned about their health. They argue that food plays a great role in health. On that particular day, the meal comprised traditional vegetables, seafood, and fish. The dessert had very little sugar compared to the common desserts in the American culture. The vegetables were steamed (Ngo-Metzger, et al., 2003). When I asked why they preferred such a cooking method, they argued that excess grease is not good for one’s health. The Chinese also tend to classify some foods as yin (feminine) and others as yang (masculine). The foods classified as yin include fruits and vegetables. They are believed to cause weakness, which causes illnesses. Those foods that are classified as yang include meat. They are believed to cause restlessness (Rastogi, 2002). Conclusion The Chinese culture greatly affects their perception regarding health. Family is highly regarded in the Chinese culture. Medical decisions regarding a family member are a great concern to the entire family. Additionally, the families are likely to conceal health information to a patient especially if it concerns terminal illness. The Chinese consider diet to be important and to play a role in determining one’s health. References Ngo-Metzger, Q., Massagli, M., Clarridge, B., Manocchia, M., Dav, is, R., . . . Phillips, R. (2003). Linguistic and Cultural Barriers to Care: Perspectives of Chinese and Vietnamese Immigrants. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 44-52. Nie, J.-B. (2011). The “Cultural Differences” Argument and Its Misconceptions: The Return of Medical Truth-Telling in China. In J.-B. Nie, Bioethics in the 21st Century (pp. 103-121). New York: Intech. Rastogi, S. (2002). Philosophy For Health. New York: Concept Publisbhing Company. Read More