This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Castro, F. G. Articles by Karlow, H. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Health Beliefs of Mexican, Mexican American and Anglo American Women

University of California, Los Angeles

Pauline Furth

Herbert Karlow

First Street Medical Clinic, Los Angeles

The health-illness beliefs in five health domains as related to level of acculturation were examined in 102 Mexican, Mexican American, and Anglo American women. The five health domains examined were Mexican folk beliefs, hot-cold theory of illness beliefs, beliefs of responsibility and control over own health, cardiovascular disease beliefs, and stress-illness beliefs. The question of interest was whether less acculturated Mexican women as compared with more acculturated and Anglo women have a significantly different conceptual system of health-illness beliefs in these five domains. A different health belief schemata in these less acculturated women might function as a barrier to their acceptance of and compliance with biomedical treatments. The Mexican-origin women expressed mild acceptance of Mexican folk beliefs, a moderate acceptance of hot-cold beliefs and a strong acceptance of biomedical beliefs (cardiovascular and stress-illness beliefs). The less aculturated women reported having a somewhat lower sense of responsibility and control over own health as characterized by a greater acceptance of powerful external agents, God, chance, the doctor, as determinants of health outcomes. These results suggest that Mexican-origin.women have a dual system of belief which tends to weaken but not disappear with increasing acculturation. This dual system however would not appear to interfere with their ability to accept and comply with prescribed biomedical health regimens.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. C. Sobralske Health care seeking among mexican american men. J Transcult Nurs, April 1, 2006; 17(2): 129 - 138. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Paris, L. E. Bedregal, L. M. Anez, G. Shahar, and L. Davidson Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Therapeutic Collaboration Scale (TCS) Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, August 1, 2004; 26(3): 390 - 402. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. H. Salda, A. M. Dassori, and A. L. Miller When is Caregiving a Burden? Listening to Mexican American Women Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, August 1, 1999; 21(3): 283 - 301. [Abstract] [PDF]

				L. Ramer, J. L. Richardson, M. Z. Cohen, C. Bedney, K. L. Danley, and E. A. Judge Multimeasure Pain Assessment in an Ethnically Diverse Group of Patients with Cancer J Transcult Nurs, April 1, 1999; 10(2): 94 - 101. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. Domino, A. Fragoso, and H. Moreno Cross-Cultural Investigations of the Imagery of Cancer in Mexican Nationals Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, November 1, 1991; 13(4): 422 - 435. [Abstract]

				E. R. Calvillo and J. H. Flaskerud Review of Literature on Culture and Pain of Adults with Focus on Mexican-Americans J Transcult Nurs, January 1, 1991; 2(2): 16 - 23. [Abstract] [PDF]