High-Risk Nutritional Behaviors Among Various Cultures - Assignment Example

High-risk nutritional behaviors are pract1iced among various cultures Research, Identify, and explain thehigh risk nutritional behaviors practiced among 10 different cultures. As population changes across the globe to include diversity in cultural and ethnic groups and this has increasingly led to difference in eating habits and food preferences across cultural divide. Culture implies the beliefs, knowledge, habits and customs that are shared by a group of people share. Such behaviors are never inherited, but are learned. It is also true that culture is taken from generation to the next (Galler, 1984). . Every ethnic or cultural group possesses their personal culturally or based foods and food perception. These believe and perceptions have been impact and transformed by contact with the conventional culture. The cultural for various group diet is based in part on certain health beliefs that have been passed down through generations and are still observed today. Thus there is a correlation between high risk nutritional behaviors practiced and cultural different. This can influence factors on high-risk behaviors for every culture such as education, spiritual beliefs, family roles and health care practices among others. Nutritional behavior in various cultures show their unbalanced and balanced ways of concerns food exposing them to serious high nutritional risks, like overweight since they consume energetic foods exceeding consumption and weight insufficiency because of malnutrition. One culture of that has of late been affected by high risk nutritional behavior is Asian Indians. In recent days, Asian Indians’ diet in the US has greatly changed from the traditional one that characterized by high-fiber diet, low-fat foods, to modern day that is featuring by higher protein or fat from animal, less fiber, and saturated fat in high level. Thus, there is an increasing tendency among this in to take fast foods or convenience diet. Among African Americans the high risk nutritional behavior is more evident due to the eating habits more evident. In United States, recent statistics have indicated that close to 66% of the population is either obese or overweight. The nutritional and dietary practices and customs are due to the traditional emphasis of the so called “soul food”. “soul food,” included. For instance, corn being a mainstay diet. Another unique culture that is of consideration is the Mexican Americans. Despite increasing high risk nutritional behavior, the culture has persisted on diet has contains fairly high intakes of dietary fiber and legumes, with high in cholesterol. This has for years affected the nutritional behavior in this cultures showing how their unbalanced and balanced ways of concerns food exposing them to serious high nutritional risks, like overweight since they consume energetic foods exceeding consumption and weight insufficiency because of malnutrition. Hindu culture is more of vegetarian. The culture emphasizes on “Vegetable nutrition,” which traditionally is composed of vegetables and are served with yeast rolls or cornbread and “spring white onions” or cooked yellow onions or sliced raw. A vegan diet advocated for in the Hindu culture implies diet that excludes animal and other meat products, such as eggs and milk. These behaviors have been passed from one cultural generation to the next (Steiner & Arnim, 2008). The sad part is that such cultural and personal nutritional choices have failed to consider other protein options. Such kind of nutrition has left members of the culture either malnutrition as they grow or grow while lacking essential proteins and low immunity making them prone to diseases African cultures particularly those from West Africa have carbohydrates in entirely all their diets. The culture emphasizes on rich starchy foods such as corns that are believed to sustain the population through tough day out. It is widely accepted that cultural factors among African cultures i.e. the Yoruba influence nutrition preferences and thus the behavior (Kittler et al., 2012). The nutritional behaviors and choices in African cultures has financial constraints and family support have also been taken into consideration. Health illiteracy is likewise in overemphasis on the high risk nutritional behavior. Particularly, whenever health educators are advising with patients about diet choices and personal likely impact on health. Among Arab Muslims the cultural dietary practices have affected the type and content to taken. 2. Discuss the historical belief system of the practice of the behaviors you find. High risk nutritional behavior factors in the cultural set-up are deeply rooted in the historical beliefs systems. This is because historically, the revolution in many cultural lifestyle nutritional behaviors left its mark years after the traditional roots faded (Steiner & Arnim, 2008). There are various nutrition behaviors that are as a result of historical crops grown and the historical believes attached to the value of such crops. As an outcome, the tendencies to grow these crops and have them as the main subsistence crops persisted with time. In some culture particularly among the Yuruba in Africa, yams are valued traditionally and still grown in this parts. The eating habits are thus correlated to the high risk nutritional behaviors. Selection of foods for nutritional or health reasons is a learned behavior. Behavior change is a key element in reducing the risk for chronic disease (Kanarek et al, 2006). Traditionally, various high risk nutrition behaviors were acquired over a period of time, to changing these habits needs alterations in behaviors that must always continue enduringly and such have persisted to date. 3. Explore the influencing factors on high-risk behaviors for each culture Nutritional Cost Nutritional cost plays a vital role as an influencing factor of high risk behavior in various cultures. Cost has been witnessed in many cultures to influence what people eat particularly among the low income earners. This is the case in many African cultures. In many cases, the least nutritional options are likewise the very affordable for instance, high-sugar food and high-fats, that tend to be cheaper per calorie in many cultural setup compared to healthier options such as vegetables and fruits. This influences the nutritional options since it challenging for many lower-income citizens to afford better options. Research in recent days has indicated that nearly all the cultural brackets in the US fail to meet dietary recommendation of USDA. In this regard, affordability of various diets to a culture influence there high risk behaviors witnessed amongst them. Social influences High risk nutritional behaviors directly correlate to the social influences in many cultural setting. Individuals around us and those that we associate with more have a powerful impact on choice of nutrition options. Various researches around the world have continuously indicated that the manner in which the culture is set, individuals tend to mimic their associates or folks eating habits. These may include their families, close friends and coworkers. For instance, children are likely to mimic their parent’s eating habits (Preedy, 2011). Likewise, in families where parents regularly take meat and animal diets, children are likely to grow doing the same. Religious factors influence Religion is today a big influencing and a factor on high-risk nutritional behaviors for many cultures. Various religious beliefs and ideologies can likewise be rooted to primary concerns for safety and health in taking liquid or food. In many cultures, religious leaders in many cultures including those from Hindu and African communities develop rules concerning the communal nutritious foods and drinks. The religious leaders drew specific laws concerning eating habits and in the long run these decisions affect the high risk nutritional behaviors. For instance among the Arab Muslims, the Diet is influence by the holy book of Quran and this directly influence high risk nutrition behavior among their faithful. Furthermore, alert to specific nutrition behaviors habits, like as use of oral stimulants or strong drink, overeating behaviors, vegetarian diets, are also integrated into the beliefs of religious practice. Food and agricultural policy Various policies by federal or state government have an influence on what their citizens consume either directly or indirectly. These policies dictate what is to be taken and the content thus the general eating and nutritional behaviors (Steiner & Arnim, 2008). One can argue that in the contemporary society, malnutrition persists to be a serious challenge in many cultural set-ups and some of the challenges can be traced to various government policies concerning food security. Drug and Alcohol Use Drug and Alcohol use increase high –risk nutritional behavior. Individuals who use such substances tend to have poor nutritional behaviors. Drug and Alcohol use cause behavior change since they are key element in increasing the risk for poor eating habits. Eating behaviors are affected over a lifetime due to Drug and Alcohol use habits. Education Education plays an important part in shaping nutritional habits or behavior. Cultural literacy level for instance dictates the nutritional education accessible to members of a particular culture and knowledge of various eating habits (Bell & Swinburn, 2001). Making right choices concerning what to take and how to take it likewise depend on the available information concerning the diet. Low literacy levels in the community for instance in African cultures and other developing nations have been in recent days singled out as direct consequence of high- risk nutritional behavior. This is further supported by the fact that many of the world’s malnourished individuals reside in less developed nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Such cultural set-up makes it difficult to obtain the needed nutritional education(Bell & Swinburn, 2001). Through analysis those mostly affected are individuals from cultures where a great portion being from low income families. For instance, due to educational backgrounds, one would expect children from African cultural households with a low socioeconomic and education status to be 2.5 times at a high risk of being malnutrition relative to their peers from African American who have better education and access to better health care. This is further because they are from households with upper to middle socioeconomic and educational status. In a nutshell, the primary positive factors for poor nutritional behaviors in cultural set-up with limited nutritional education are: Feeding practices inadequate nutrients intake, family size and poor health status as a result of poverty and inadequate access to nutritious foods (Bell & Swinburn, 2001). ReferencesTop of FormBottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Bell, A.C., & Swinburn, B.A. (2001). What are the key food groups to target for preventing obesity and improving nutrition in schools? European Journal of Clinical. Galler, J. R. (1984). Nutrition and behavior. New York: Plenum Press. Kanarek, R. B., Tepper, B. J., & Worobey, J. (2006). Nutrition and behavior: A multidisciplinary approach. Wallingford, UK: CABI Pub. Kittler, P. G., Sucher, K., & Nahikian-Nelms, M. (2012). Food and culture. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Nutrition, 58, 258-263. Preedy, V. R., Watson, R. R., & Martin, C. R. (2011). Handbook of behavior, food and nutrition. New York: Springer. Top of Form Steiner, R., & Arnim, C. (2008). Nutrition: Food, health and spiritual development. London: Rudolf Steiner Press. Bottom of Form Read More