Delivering culturally sensitive care: the perceptions of older Arabian gulf Arabs concerning religion, health, and disease.

Full Abstract

Health professionals need to be cognizant of the varying perceptions of health shared by people from different religious, sociocultural, and linguistic backgrounds to deliver culturally sensitive health care. In this qualitative study, the authors used semistructured interviews to provide insight into how 10 older Arabian Gulf Muslim persons understand and perceive health and illness with emphasis on the role of Islam in formulating health behaviors. Participants' views were strongly influenced by their religious convictions. Good health was equated with the absence of visible disease, with participants demonstrating limited understanding of silent or insidious disease. They attended doctors for treatment of visible disease rather than seeking preventive health care for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Building on the results from this study could help inform both health service planners and providers to improve the appropriateness, relevancy, and effectiveness of aged care services for these individuals.

Author information

Author/s: Ypinazar, Valmae Anne (VA); Margolis, Stephen Andrew (SA);

Affiliation: School of Medicine, Rural Clinical Division, University of Queensland, Central Queensland Division, Australia.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Qualitative health research (Qual Health Res), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jul; vol 16 (issue 6) : pp 773-87

Dates: Created 2006/06/08; Completed 2006/08/16;

PMID: 16760535, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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