Culture and Preventive Health Care |
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| Authors: | MARGUERITE PARKEN RN MS |
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| Affiliation: | Marguertte Parken received her basic nursing education at St. Luke's Hospital School of Nursing in New York City. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BS in Nursing and received her MS from the Pennsylvania State University. She is a Family Health Specialist and has worked as a staff nurse in acute care settings and, more recently, as a triage nurse in a community health center. She served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America where she undertook an educational program for lay midwives. Currently, Ms. Parken holds the position of Associate Director for Nursing Education at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She is a member of ANA and Sigma Theta Tau. |
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| Abstract: | Interviews were conducted with 85 Puerto-Rican-born women encountered in one urban community in the United States concerning their obstetrical and gynecological preventive health participation, modesty pattern, and feelings of being male dominated. Women who were living with partners were influenced in preventive health participation by their modesty pattern: The more modest woman participated less. Women no longer living with their partners participated in preventive health care independently of their modesty pattern. Women reporting to be more male dominated demonstrated no differences in their preventive health participation; however, women reporting to be less male dominated participated more in preventive health. The nurse should determine the degree of modesty and assess its probable influence on the woman s future participation in preventive health. The more modest woman will relate better to a female health provider in matters concerning her physical person, and particularly, in matters concerned with her sexuality. In some instances the nurse should determine the need to include the partner an preventive health education in order to encourage a more positive attitude toward and participation in preventive health care. |
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