Purpose
          The purpose of this assignment is to introduce the student to the major underlying determinants of poor health and their effect on the health of populations worldwide. The student will utilize these principles to create an informational website for the country of their choice.

 

Student Approach
          The focus of my webcountry assignment was the Philippines. I chose the Philippines because I am Filipino-American and was interested in the health disparities that exist in the country. Through this webcountry assignment, I was also able to learn about health around the world and how various environmental, political, financial, and social factors affect the health of different populations.
    
Reason for Inclusion 
          The inclusion of this assignment demonstrates my understanding of how various cultural factors affect health around the world. The following objectives were met through this assignment: 

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• Culture

  • Articulates an understanding of how human behavior is affected by culture, race, religion, gender, lifestyle, and age.

    • Example: Religion, gender norms, and lifestyle are part of culture. Catholicism is the official religion of the Philippines and many Filipinos believe that illness is attributed to “God’s will,” so many have used this belief as a way to accept their condition. The country is patriarchal, so men typically become breadwinners and women become housemakers. Part of the Filipino lifestyle is eating rice and fried foods. These foods contribute to the country’s high rates of diabetes and heart disease. Age also plays a factor in human behavior in the Philippines. Young children attend primary school, but teenagers are expected to work and help financially contribute to their families. As part of this assignment, I explored various web countries composed of people of various races. People from different races had different cultural beliefs. Caucasians are typically individualistic. Asians and Hispanics are more family-oriented and many go to their families first for help regarding their health. 

  • Maintains an awareness of global environmental factors that may influence the delivery of health care services.

    • Example: Through this assignment, I was able to learn about environmental and cultural factors in various countries. For example, most Filipinos grow up in a family-oriented environment so their families are tight-knit and often involved in each other’s health care. Also, Brazil has a patriarchal environment which is associated with high rates of domestic violence towards women. Knowledge of these factors can aid in providing more culturally sensitive nursing care.

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Link to webcountry: https://cfirm001.wixsite.com/philippines

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