Health and Culture : Beyond the Western Paradigm

Offering a trenchant analysis of the effect culture has in determining our perceptions and expectations of health care, this provocative volume challenges the traditional, westernized medical model. An insightful alternative, author Collins O. Airhihenbuwa presents the PEN-3 model based on elements of PRECEDE, health belief, and reasoned action models of health behavior. Within this framework, the author surveys such aspects of the health education as person, extended family, and neighborhood; discusses the elements that inform an educational diagnosis of health behavior, including perceptions, enablers, and nurturers; and considers the cultural appropriateness of health behavior, examining positive, negative, and existential beliefs. The work culminates in the model's application to specific populations, from women and children of all races to subgroups within the African American community. Health and Culture provides compelling evidence of the importance of the PEN-3 model in developing sound, relevant promotional health programs. It is essential reading for professionals, researchers, and advanced students in public health, the health sciences, and ethnic studies.