Culture is definitely one of the inherent elements for every person which affects the way one thinks, acts, reacts to the situations, makes decisions and interacts with others. Staying mostly invisible, the aspect of culture, though, is present in everything we do. Therefore being a nurse in the country of diverse cultures, or the one which is completely different from your own, means considering cultural issues and trying to understand them. Additionally, what may considerably differ from country is not only culture, but also the factors of risk. Therefore this essay will consider risk factors in India, and the way they relate to the cultural factors.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, risk factor is something that increases risk or susceptibility, especially something that makes a person more likely to get a particular disease or condition. World Health Organization, in its turn, provides a bit another definition: “A risk factor is any attribute, characteristic or exposure of an individual that increases the likelihood of developing a disease or injury.” Besides them, though, the risks also include high blood pressure, unsafe water, tobacco and alcohol consumption, underweight, unsafe sex, sanitation and hygiene.
The Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 researched major current risks in India, and the result showed that three risk factors which cause the greatest number of diseases in India are dietary risks, (estimated to cause 7.8% of total health loss) household air pollution from solid fuels (5,2%), and tobacco smoking (4,7%) (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation). According to Dr. Vivekanand Jha, who leads the George Institute for Global Health, located in India, the risk factors such as poor sanitation and unsafe water sources significantly decreased since 1990, but they still contribute substantially to health loss in India” (Krishnaswamy, 2015).
The following risks could definitely be reduced, provided the right health care promotion. Particularly, dietary risk factor, which is considered as the top health risk, lies in the basic fact that many Indian citizens do not follow a healthy, well-balanced ration, thus neglecting their health on the daily basis. Perhaps it is also linked with the cultural issues and the concept of national cuisine in particular, which is allegedly considered all good and healthy, but may not actually be like that. Thus the promotion of healthy products and good nutrition would be highly appreciated and needed in India, which in the long run could lead to great results in general health improvements among Indian citizens.
In my point of view, nursing strategy in India should be based on two key principles: positiveness and adaptability. As the former one is definitely needed to get a good connection with the patients and encourage a trusty relationship between each other, the latter is essential to develop in accordance with the principles of other culture, its customs and common behavior. Using such strategy, a nurse will be able to break cultural and communication barriers between him/her and the patient, and ensure an efficient nursing practice in another country and culture.
References
Factors Study 2010. Retrieved from http://www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org
Krishnaswamy, K. (2015). India makes progress against some risk factors, but disease burden due
http://www.georgeinstitute.org/media-releases/india-makes-progress-against-some-risk- factors-but-disease-burden-due-to-high-blood
World Health Organization (2016). Health Topics: Risk Factors. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/topics/risk_factors/en/
