Nursing care patterns and health practices in African American and Amish populations

African-American Heritage & the Amish

African-American people traditionally have different communication patterns and family roles than their white counterparts. They are more likely to have families headed by single parents (usually single mothers) and they are also more likely to have poor communication skills and not express their deepest feelings so that they can get help for the family problems they are facing (Franklin & Moss, 2001). Unemployment and underemployment runs high through the African-American community, although there are certainly exceptions. Because the culture of the majority of African-American people is different from the culture seen in the white community, the interaction between the two groups can sometimes be more complex than one would expect. African-Americans are more likely to be part of the high-risk population when it comes to health and well-being (both mental and physical), and they are more like to live in areas of the country and areas of their towns and cities where there is a lower income base, poorer housing choices, and less crime (Franklin & Moss, 2001).

Often, African-Americans do not eat the same level of healthy foods as white individuals and they are more likely to be overweight and suffer from problems such as diabetes and heart disease (Salzman, 1996). They also engage in high-risk behaviors such as promiscuity and drug use in great numbers than other populations (Salzman, 1996). They have more children at younger ages, and often with multiple fathers and out of wedlock. However, many African-Americans are very religious and churchgoing. They have a strong faith in the Lord to provide for them (Salzman, 1996). They do not see doctors as often as their white counterparts, often do to lack of money to do so. When they do see a medical professional, it is often in the emergency room for something that has become so serious they can no longer ignore it. Their funerals are large, and there is often much singing and celebration (Salzman, 1996).

In contrast, the Amish are not so much a race like African-American, but rather more like a religion and/or a closed society. While some Amish are more progressive and will use electronic devices - especially at work, for example - there are many more Amish people who stick to the traditional ways of doing things. They do not usually have electricity in their homes, and they do not drive cars (Kraybill & Olshan, 1994). Often, they are very conscious of the earth and their place on it, and they are peaceful and communicative with those in their culture and lifestyle. They are taught to be polite and respectful, and the man is definitely the head of the household. They work amongst themselves most often, and do not venture out to take corporate jobs or anything that would clash with their deeply-held values and beliefs (Kraybill & Olshan, 1994). Mostly, they live in specific areas of the country and keep to themselves, staying out of sight of most of the general population and keeping to themselves and their own people. While some of the younger Amish people are more outgoing and interactive, the older Amish people generally are not. They still hold to traditional values passed down to them.