Running head: Exploring Health Beliefs

Student ID: N00989267 1

Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Student: Anzhela Fedoronchuk
Student No: N00989267
Date Submitted: October 24, 2014
NURS 103: Practical Nursing Theory 1
Professor: Vasanthy Harnanan
Humber College ITAL

Running head: Exploring Health Beliefs

Student ID: N00989267 2

Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

People all over the world carry about their health and have some beliefs that they
explore and practice because of certain things that exist in their mind. Everything that
had ever happen to people stays with them conscious and follows them through the
lifespan, because it is the part of their life that determine their health. In addition,
Shuster mentioned in her book that promoting health and well-being, communication
provides a vital connection to different needs (2010, p.21). The most meaningful detail
that represents a big role in one`s life is the understanding of a health by itself and what
can determine it. I found for myself that the most accurate definition that the author
explains about health and wellness is in the book where is says that health is an
objective process characterized by functional stability, balance, and integrity, whereas
wellness is a subjective experience (Potter, p.2). According to this statement, it gives
better picture of understanding health, but every individual has also their own beliefs
about health as well. My health beliefs are based on my Ukrainian background
knowledge and traditions. On another hand, my friend has different point of view about
her Jamaican health beliefs. I discussed with her about cultural and religious beliefs.
Also, I discovered some other factors that take major part in her life, such as income,
social status, and education.
Definitions of Health
Ukrainian Traditions and Cultural Aspects
My health believe is based on my Ukrainian traditions and cultural aspects. I was
born and grew up in Western part of Ukraine. I came to Canada two years ago with my

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younger brother to my grandparents. My family and I follow Ukrainian traditions and my

grandparents teach me our Ukrainian culture. Our cultural beliefs are based on
knowledge of Catholic`s traditions. Catholic`s church teaches that people will have
healthy body only when their mind and soul will be spiritually clear and light. Moreover,
my family beliefs that it will help us to stay healthy if we pray every day and ask God
about family`s good health. Spiritual health is very important. First of all, if the person
thinks positively, then a half way to a well-being has been reached. The other thing is
that our thoughts can help a person to heal and to treat without any medications. To me,
health is spiritually to become healthy, where the risk of having disease is very low
because of positive thinking.
Similar, I think that actually my health depends on some health factors. For example,
my family`s income and social status play important role for determining of health.
People who has higher income are more likely to be healthy, because they can afford to
buy what they need in order to be healthy. We truly believe that person`s good feeling
can change if the income raise up and social status lets to effort healthy products to
have for daily living. I found some information that is really made me feel sad about it
People with lower incomes are more likely to have chronic health problems (Potter, 7).
My family is not too rich that to have everything, but if the question is about health, then
there is no limit for buying needed food and vitamins even when some of them are quite
expensive.
Nobody wants easily get sick just because of bad eating habit or choosing wrong
products. We decide to make ourselves a little healthier physically, so we cook our
national food which is basically a soup that we call Borsch. We prepare it with the

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main ingredients, such as beats, mixed vegetables, and beef. Mostly, we drink
cranberry, orange, and mixed vegetables juices. In addition, every day we eat fresh
organic food, low-fat meat, fruits, vegetables, and never fast food. The other main dish
is called Kutya which is a Christmas cold dessert. It is like a sweet soup that has
inside peanuts, poppy seeds, honey, raisins, and other dry fruits. We like to cook at
home because we decide to be healthy and do not eat junk food.
The other cultural aspect that plays very important part in my life is education.
People who study at some field in college or university are usually middle or high level
educated people. For me personally, I guess that I belong to a group of people from
middle class, because I study for Nursing Program at Humber College. I realized from
one citation that nurses should be ready to think outside the box, take risks, and
reconceptualise the curriculum, their methods and experiences (Adams, 2014, p.275).
My parents also got high education and my grandparents as well. It is a tradition from
grandparents to give high education for their children. Nowadays education is truly
important, because the person without knowledge is a person who can easily get into
many problems. For example, reading books about well-being, stress coping,
behavioural aspects, ethics, cultural facts are good enough informational guides to keep
in mind. To have at home a small library is also a good point for referring to knowledge.
Jamaican Traditions and Cultural Beliefs
My friend was born in Canada, but her parents are from Jamaica. She grew up in
Toronto, and at the same time her family teaches their Jamaican traditions. She told me
about her cultural beliefs and how her family practices their health beliefs. Her family is

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really friendly and they gather together when something important happen in one`s life.
She is Christian. She and her family go to church every Sunday to pray. It is a part of
their tradition to join holy place for that time that to let everything bad to go out and
leave their mind and soul. Spiritual health takes a major role in their life. Her family
believe that its effect on health through lack of material resources that support health,
through higher levels of psychosocial stress, and through health-threatening behaviours
to cope with limited resources and stress (Potter, 7). They try to relax and reduce any
stress factors when they are in church.
My friend celebrates Christmas on January 7, not December 25 as we celebrate in
Canada. Before Christmas come, Christians usually have to fast for about a month and
do not eat meat at all. They think that by killing animals and eating them during fasting
period will bring sickness to their home. They do not like to cook at home, but instead of
that they order food from restaurant. Sometimes my friend likes to buy spicy food, such
as Samosa, or add spices to any food she eats. Also, my Jamaican friend prefer to eat
vegetables and fruits, such as avocado, spinach, potatoes, and green bananas.
Moreover, when somebody in their family will get sick or feel weakness, then they
prepare medicine at home from natural products, such as honey, pepper, garlic, lemon
juice. Her religion does not allow her to eat pork, or fish that has no scales on it, such as
salmon and shrimps. Food is always spicy and helps to prevent any sickness.
My friend grew up in a family where an education plays an important role in their life.
Her father got an engineering higher education, and her mother got early child
education. Jamaican people are hard studying people who wants their children to get
good education. My friend studies for Practical Nursing program and really wants to get

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a job in a hospital after she will graduate. The educational part is the most portion that
may influence on health. She believes that the person who reads and discovers many
different aspects about the health is more likely do not get sick quickly as other do, or
threat themselves by using natural medicine.
It is really interesting to discover different Jamaican culture from my own Ukrainian
culture. Of course, there are some contrasts and comparisons between our two
cultures. Similar, we believe that our spiritual health is the most important for being
healthy, because we are not by ourselves live in this world and the God helps us to stay
with him all the time healthy. In addition, the determinants of health about education are
the same and take reasonable baseline for being healthy. The only difference that I
have found between Jamaican and Ukrainian culture is that Jamaican people fasting
before Christmas and completely do not eat specific food for that time. On another
hand, Ukrainians eat everything they like and there is no limit or constrictions about
food, only if the person has some problems with health and prescribed to follow a diet. I
assume that social and income status is significant thing, but not everybody
understands how it can influence on personal health.
Analysis
I did a research work on my friend`s Jamaican health beliefs and described in more
accurate way the aspects which can influence on her well-being. Also, I explained about
my culture and traditions that I use for daily living which based on my personal health
beliefs. My nursing practice can influence on my cultural beliefs in different ways; for
example, culture, background, spiritual, religious, and other can be the facts that will

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give bigger picture about the person by doing nursing assessment. At this point, the
nurse should pay attention to little details that may be relevant. By comparing my
cultural practices and my friend`s practices, I found that basically no matter where the
person live, but it is only matter if her background traditions stay the same during her
lifespan. One person`s culture is different from other because we are all individuals with
different ethnicities. I think that I have opened new page in my life by doing this
discussion with my Jamaican friend about health beliefs. Since that time, I analyse and
evaluate myself when I am trying to develop new practical skills which will help me in
nursing. By listening and summarizing all statements from my friend, I think that it is
helpful and meaningful to me. Exploring personal health beliefs is very interesting
procedure of taking details about traditions and listening one`s opinion about the
understanding of different factors that can influence on personal well-being.

Running head: Exploring Health Beliefs

Student ID: N00989267 8

References

Adams, M. (Sept-Oct 2014). Nurse educators must be prepared to think outside the
box, take risks, and reconceptualise the curriculum, their methods of instruction,
and clinical experiences. Health and Wellness, 35(5), 275-275. Retrieved from
http://galenet.galegroup.com.rap.ocls.ca
Potter, Patricia, Anne Perry, Janet Ross-Kerr, Marilynn Wood, Barbara Astle, Wendy
Duggleby. Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing, 5th Edition. Mosby Canada,
2014. VitalBook file.
Schuster, P.M. & Nykolyn, L. (2010). Interpersonal Communication: The Foundation for
Patient-Safe Communication. In Communication for Nurses (p. 21).
Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company.