Looking at health behaviors in context of culture
- Ethnography in Indonesia -> Community-based risk reduction
- Low + middle income countries have rising incidence of colorectal cancer (aging population + sedentary lifestyle, westernized behavior lifestyle)
- Does westernized behavior necessarily correlate with cancer? And how so? (dangers of the simplified model of civilization = cancer and primitivism = safe from cancer -> How Color Crossed the Cancer Line book)
- Cultural influences on health beliefs/values/behaviors
- Low + middle income countries have rising incidence of colorectal cancer (aging population + sedentary lifestyle, westernized behavior lifestyle)
- CRC screening less supported in Asia (equipments + specialists costs)
- Data collected from observation, interviews, focus group discussions, thematic analysis
- Themes:
- Food preparation (cook freshly rather than refrigerate)
- Food cooking (low sodium salt and limit flavor additives)
- Food consumption (Padang cuisine, canned food/beverages)
- Physical activity (lots of walking, fishing)
- Health checks (some are skeptical of health services)
- Alternative treatments (some use traditional herbs, propolis, massage, coining)
- Controlling health risk behaviors (many are active smokers including children)
- Cancer information (gain info from internet and social media, but lack understanding of cancer risk prevention)
- Self health status (if health = no need for examinations)
- Certain cultural foods contain ingredients associated w/ cancer + spicy food consumption has inconsistent associations w/ cancer
- Exercise behavior dependent on finances and time
- Jamu-> traditional medicine -> cultural habit although there is no research on its usefulness
- Delays on diagnosis/treatment -> traditional healers seen as first choice
- Familial habits of smoking extended to children
“Herbs are medications consisting of natural compounds which have been proved and are rather better than generic medication”
Male participant, 32 years old
- Reflections/questions:
- Need cross-sectoral strategies and collaborations between academia, gov, providers, etc…
- Community empowerment = important in building understanding health behaviors and risk reduction
- Culture informs health behaviors which informs cancer risk
- How do individuals in a community receive health information? What are some ways to better engage them while keeping in mind cultural influences?
