New Zealand Cultural Impacts on Health

New Zealand Cultural Impacts on Health Demographic distribution of populations In demographic distribution of populations, Primary Health Organisations are held in charge in New Zealand for the health of their registered populations. Primary Health Organisations brings services in a range of community settings in developing access, clearly taking account on inequalities of health and how these may best be condensed. Having a health population approach may involve promoting health beyond and above treating and diagnosing illnesses. It also involves a Primary Health Organisation to engage in promotion of health in the partnership with some other division or community organisations, and identifying such partnerships as important to improve health results and outcomes for its distributed population. Political values A nation’s politics replicates on the values and historical encounter of the public. It means a country’s values are essential part of its individuality and unique outlook. Each country has its own unique history, which is influencing people’s lives. Every nation is having its individual political institutions, and the way it works in practice is having a big deal to do with the prevalent habits, expectations and beliefs of that nation. People can acquire their political values; their political identification and identity through a bigger political community like for instance, a nation over and done with a process of political socialisation. For example; here in New Zealand, as somewhere else, most people obtain their political values from their family members. Primarily, most of the cases, they acquire it from their parents, schools, and even the media which includes the internet, television, films, books, and music also they get it from news sources, work place , peers, and unto their own individual unique experiences that impacts health viewpoints. Several health educators have tried to present a more organised approach with the process in which people attain their certain principles and beliefs. Although there is so much diversity in every society, every nation has unique sights, being shared by most of the people, about politics, government and even could impact to health. A country’s political values/culture changes from time to time. Therefore, its viewpoint towards health could vary as well. New Zealand’s political growth is being considered more by evolution rather than revolution (slowly changing than hasty change) and New Zealand’s political system is functioning without a written legitimate statement of policy direction and principle. This country’s political value does not replicate a constant. Nevertheless, some features of a country’s general political outlook continue to be more or less persistent, and occasionally it’s strengthening over the time. That is why the approach to its political values through health could also vary from time to time. Health planning and implementation should conduct a survey and further first before implementing it. Religious beliefs Some sides of religion beliefs affect measures of disease, illness and death (Levin 1994). There will be several possible causal pathways, it includes t behaviour, effects psychosocially, religious faith and rites, also a divine explanations which includes â€Å"miracles† (Levin 1994). Various religions deliberately proscribe or sanction certain manners like for example: relating to alcohol, diet and sexual behaviour. New Zealand comprises a lot of religious beliefs. Some of it doesn’t agree with blood transfusions (Jehovah’s witnesses –religious group), and for other native people prefer having alternative herbal medicines rather than the modern medicines we are using now a days. However, religious membership could provide social support and encourage social cohesiveness. Beliefs may well lead to a better sense of coherence, though it could both boost up self-confidence and as well as contribute increase to guilt, self-doubt and the worst depression. It i s also very important to respect every belief we have as it is a right of every individual. Health education always contributes a big role in every society. It includes health awareness, prevention and healthcare alternatives from what they believe in. Human values It is said that human values are nearly unified with human life. They are tangled through our everyday tasks. There is no human life that is possible without having values and every human being exists by a certain values. It is merely the percentage and mixture of positive and negative values in which it split up a decent human being from a not so decent human being. Human values are important in relation to health. If you do care yourself, it will just simply reflect in to your health and even to others surrounding you. Human values or ethics is being emphasized as well to healthcare providers as their approach to their patients and clients. Showing compassion, love and sympathy is still the best therapeutic and effective way than giving just a medication to an ill person. Ethnicity New Zealand’s ethnicity data is basing on the individual self-identification principle. It is believed that self-identification is one of the most practical ways in bringing together this information. Overall, ethnicity questions in this country are drawing high responses. Publics involve ethnicity not only through traditional affiliation, on the other hand also with such aspects as race, lineage, country of current residence and country of birth. The precise mixture of all of these effects is not discernible from all the data collected. Young people also have a tendency to to declare several ethnicities more frequently rather than older people. Ethnicity is intensely related by almost each measure of disease and health. Well it is one of the robust ethnic influences; ethnicity is time and again used as a alternative for â€Å"culture† but then this could lead to inappropriate assumptions about the outcome of traditional influences towards health. Traditions New Zealand tradition is mainly inherited after European  custom and British people, intertwined with the Maoris and Polynesian custom. One of the traditions of the New Zealanders just before it was influenced by British is smoking tobacco. It is still most predominant especially for Maoris now days compared to any other tribal group in New Zealand. Generally, 40.4% of MÄ ori adults were being identified as current smokers much twice the smoking rate of the non-MÄ ori people. Smoking tobacco is one of the main causes of preventable death for MÄ ori people in New Zealand roughly 700 MÄ ori died/dying each year with different kinds of smoking related diseases. Health education about what smoking may cause to our health will always play a vital part. Though increased price rate for the cigarette market helps, public information like anti cigarette smoking campaign with the help of the media should take place to reduce mortality and diseases rate related to smoking. Second hand smoke could cause diseases and worst could kill children and adult who does not smoke, exposure to smoke (tobacco) could increase the chance of a pregnant woman to have miscarriage (abortion), pregnancy problems like stillborn birth; etc. smoking kills, it is best for the government to impose strict implementation towards smoking policies. The public concepts of what health is People usually think that health is just the absence of disease; it means that if you are not feeling any unusual into your body, you are considered healthy. Health is more than mere absence of disease; thus far, most of us think through ourselves well-off if we have been out of danger of major health mischance. We may say â€Å"so far so good† by way of a sense of relief. The (WHO) World Health Organization states that health is a encouraging impression, give emphasis to social and personal resources, also physical, spiritual and mental capabilities. Through proper health education with the help of the some health organisations, healthcare professionals, media, government, we can change the public concepts towards health. However, as there are multiple definitions of health, there are also multiple definitions of health education. It depends on the need of the society. Education for health originates through people. It hopes to encourage them with whatever interests they might have to improve their living conditions. It contains an appraisal of what is recognised by a population about a illness/disease, an valuation of attitudes and habits of the people as they relay to occurrence and spread of the disease, and to the presentation of exact means to remedy perceived insufficiencies. Health education is the best way to promote the real concept of health in the society. The public concepts of what illness is There are some cases of public beliefs/concepts that the cause of illnesses among oneself is based on your bad doings in your past life (karma) that is resulting to your illness in the present. Some said it is God’s punishment of your sins, and others say it is the effect of bad luck. Whatever perspective in life we may have, it is still important to know and to have knowledge about what illness are its causes, prevention and cure. The he importance the public put on health Public put on health is important now a day (21st century). Public healthcare shares similar general aims as the rest of the healthcare structure; which helps decreasing early death and reducing the effects of illness, injury and disability. Nonetheless, the key intent of public put on health is to uphold better and healthier residents. This is typical to a maintainable healthcare system, as well as it delivers social and economic benefits for the region, due to increased output. The concentration of public put on health is prevention than curing of illnesses/diseases. Public health speaks the health necessities of people as a whole as a substitute of individuals. Refining the health of the public frequently needs varying personal health behaviours.Health care workers work through high-risk society in an exertion in changing these behaviours. Though taking along when talking to change could takes time and involves a mixture of training/education, community improvement and healthy com munity policy. Public health organizations and professionals are practised at evaluating and examining population health problems, understanding evidence and examination to guide the improvement of health programs and policies, working with a range of partners in addressing public health issues. Public attitudes towards health and medical professionals The mass media is in the industry that affect on what and how public/people think towards health and medical professionals. However, people and or the public are able to neglect entirety they observe and see in the mass media because the scenes which are presented are not literally true. It might affect public’s viewpoint and it may lead to a good and or bad impression for the watchers and hearers. Based on my experience as a healthcare professional, most of the time I receive a good feedback from my clients. As they were seeking medical attention, they would think that nurses as one of their hope for their medical condition. Working with my profession, I felt respected and happy that somehow people would think nurses like me to be hardworking and compassionate individuals. I guess public attitudes towards health and a medical professional depends upon the previous experience a client encountered with a healthcare professional. Though media has a great contribution to the way they think, previous encounter and experiences still gives a big effect on it. It is always important to tell the public what a healthcare provider should do not only in words but also in deeds. A social and economic influence has a major effect on health and its causes of health disparities contain:education, income, occupation, employment, and racism. Central and even the local government policies must reduce the health disparities objectively and must be keep an eye on frequently at regional and national levels. The Public Health Association of New Zealand is very active involving in persuading public health policy. It provides information which includes boosting research, formulating strategies to an effective and practical public policy. Here are some policies they have been implementing to the public: Alcohol Every year, a problem related to alcohol causes approximately 700 deaths and decreasing $15 billion from the country’s economy. Because of this, the government folds over $300 million per year in alcohol removed taxes, and expend a small portion of this to reduce  problems from alcohol. Breastfeeding The Ministry of Health aims to increase full breastfeeding at the first trimester (three months) to 75% and also in increasing partial or full breastfeeding at second trimester (six months) to 70% to reduce neonatal abnormalities and even death. Rates of breastfeeding in New Zealand stayed still for some years though there is an obvious drop in breastfeeding rates starting the period of discharge from the hospital at six weeks. Increasing breastfeeding rates can give to the primary population health aims of the Health Strategy in New Zealand as follows: reducing obesity; improving nutrition; decreasing the rate of cancer; decreasing the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases; decreasing the incidence of diabetes; and improving oral health. Child health There is a distress about the apparently small value put on children and their care givers. After several reports and cries for intervention, there are still small good outcomes. The full effect of the decline and variations in policy is still clarifying. Succeeding debates with this concern, the New Zealand Public Health Association has recognised the need for intensive action to make the public backing up for children so strong that the government would just come to an agreement. There is a need to contribute a vulgar, solid â€Å"child health voice† together with the other organisations supporting for children. Conclusion Every culture forms our health as much as our genetic factor does. In such a way we describe ourselves culturally and traditionally by religious belief, sexual orientation, politics, age and so much more that affects what we will be doing for our health. A good professional healthcare provider identifies this by trying to learn about the various cultures of his/her clients. It is important to learn so much more and understand about the overall health views, beliefs and practices of a particular group and implementing and planning towards health will just follow.