Health of Filipino Americans
[4] This is very similar to the founder effect issues of Ashkenazi Jews, French Canadians, Cajuns, Irish, and Finnish.
[11] Westernized diets and behaviors are considerably influential on the high cancer risk of the Filipino American community.
[11] Other factors such as acculturation, lack of targeted educational programs, and socio-economic status influence the morbidity and mortality rates of Filipino Americans.
[16] The difference between the tuberculosis incidence rate of Filipino Americans and United States born citizens is more than tenfold.
[20] Health providers whose values may not align with that of the Filipino American patient may not trust the physician and consider them as "ibang tao" (not one of us).
[20][21] Encouraging prevention practices such as health screenings may be difficult as some adult family members may discourage participation as a means of trying to protect their loved one from external forces.
Filipinos take pride in being able to speak English which is perceived as a sign of higher social status, thus they may refuse the need for an interpreter.
Generally, Filipinos consider multiple factors that contribute a particular illness and rarely believe in a sole cause of disease.
[13] Another common saying utang na loog is in reference of being granted a blessing from an answered prayer by God, the Virgin Mary, or a patron saint.
[13] Filipino Americans of a traditional, Catholic derived influence tend to seek guidance and affirmation from spiritual or religious references.
[13] Higher members of the Roman Catholic Church, such as ministers and priests, are considered under the category of faith healers.
[27] Whether it involves rituals for a specific individual or a large ceremonial mass, it is related to providing preventative measures and relief.
[27] Further examples of Philippine faith healing include reliance on religious ceremonies and seeking aid from patron saints.
[13] These occasions involve the celebration of religious holidays, the attendance of Holy Hour, reconciliations, baptisms, confirmations, and weddings.
It is believed by Filipino Americans of Catholic upbringing that the signs and symptoms of a particular illness will either be alleviated or some type of support and stability will be provided.
[13] The use of religion and spirituality as a reference for an individual's well-being can be regarded as an acceptance mechanism that affects which health precautions are taken.
However, there are studies find that Filipino Americans are more comfortable and willing to seek not only spiritual guidance from community institutions that are able to relate culturally.
[32] Most Filipino Americans tend to seek religious officials as their first choice of support rather than that of health care professionals.
[32][7] An explanation for the preference for health care services is due to the influence of historical Catholic ties of Filipino Americans.
[13] Common holy figures that are highly worshiped in the Philippines, such as Santo Niño and the Virgin Mary, are channeled through faith healers.
[13] Other than trance states, there are sects of traditional healers that encourage others to focus on proper nutrition for the care of the body.
[27] Most traditional Asian American cultures follow health care practices that are reflected of Chinese medicine.
[27] With the guidance of faith healers in Chinese medicine disciplines, the treatments are believed to help align the elements within the human body, which in turn will be reflected in one's immune defense and, moreover, cause a significant decrease in one's susceptibility to disease.
Due to a complicated historical relationship between the Philippines and the United States, a certain level of caution remains when approaching Western ideas, including medicine.
[37] One point of contention is regarding the loose definitions of what constitutes "mental and emotional" well-being contributes to the caution that Filipino Americans have in their help-seeking behaviors.
These variables include fear of shame as well as effects of oppression, indicated by racial discrimination and cultural mistrust.
Filipino Americans turn to get support through more indigenous coping strategies, such as religion, spirituality, or family as sources for help.
The image of the "model minority" is idealized, with the population being generally regarded as well-off and successful, implying an assumption of mental toughness and fortitude.
[42] Acculturation is related to several types of psychological distress: lower academic achievement, depression, body dissatisfaction, eating disturbances, less social support, and weaker familial relationships.
[27] Examples of natural illnesses include from exposure to extreme temperatures of hot or cold or transmission of microbes from contaminated sources.
