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Heritage and Health

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Heritage and Health
Heritage and Health
Kimberly Menne
Grand Canyon University
Family Centered Health Promotion
NRS-429V
Sally Markowski
December 23, 2012

Heritage and Health
With population emerging in vast quantities all over the world especially in the United States, it is even more important that individuals in the health care system take a step back and look at different heritages along with the cultures. (Edelman, M. 2010) These individuals that are arriving in our emergency rooms and clinics today have different beliefs in health care, especially in the areas of health maintenance, health protection and health restoration. Each one of these cultures has common health traditions that are based on their own heritage but also some similarities to our culture here in America. The heritage assessment tool provided by Pearson Education is one way to look a little deeper into ones heritage; however it only gives a brief view. (Spector, R.E.,2000) This tool really does not take into effect those whom are adopted, or have never known either their mother or their father. This will require one to inquire with the patient on a deeper level, in that he/she probably picked up the culture of who raised them. There are various cultures and ethnicities in the United States today, however we will take a look at the heritages of American, Muslim Asian American and African American; assessing and comparing each area of maintenance, protection and restoration of health.
First let’s look a little deeper into the heritage assessment tool that was mentioned previously. This tools outcome is based on the number of positive responses, the greater the person’s classification with a customary heritage the more optimistic answers there will be. (Spector, R.E. 2000) However, as previously discussed this tool does not take into perspective the individual completely. With adoptions, estranged parents, or the inevitable “post-man’s” child, it is almost impossible to know ones heritage.

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