The culture of obesity.
The purpose of this article is to provide nurses with a model for the culture of obesity to more fully understand this distinct cultural group. Although individuals from all walks of life are affected by obesity, it occurs at higher rates among specific ethnic groups such as African-Americans. Obesity puts African-Americans at further risk for health problems such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. In seeking culturally responsive interventions for African-Americans who are obese, it is important to realize that they belong to two cultural groups; the African-American culture and the culture of obesity. It is hoped that knowledge regarding the culture of obesity, coupled with the nurses pre-exiting knowledge about the culture of African-Americans, will provide a foundation for the development of culturally responsive nursing interventions for African-Americans who are obese. The authors utilized Giger and Davidhizar's Transcultural Assessment Model (1999), as the guiding framework to present a model of the culture of obesity.
Base-Smith
Victoria
V
Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45241, USA.
Campinha-Bacote
Josepha
J
D001741:Black or African American; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000451:nursing*; D016746:Transcultural Nursing; D014481:United States