GOOD MEDICINE

Culture and ethnicity affect health and wellness by influencing how people link with the health care system, their access to health information, and their lifestyle choices. Culture and ethnicity are products of both personal history and wider situational, social, political, geographic, and economic factors. Culture and ethnicity are important in shaping the way people interact with a health care system, their participation in programs of prevention and health promotion, access to health information, health related lifestyle choices, their understanding of health and illness, and their priorities. “Dominant” cultural values largely determine the social and economic environment of communities. The result: some people face greater health risks due to marginalization, loss/devaluation of culture and language, lack of access to culturally appropriate health services. Some persons or groups may face additional health risks due to socio-economic factors, which are largely determined by dominant cultural values that contribute to the perpetuation of these conditions.