2. Sr. Content
1. Introduction
2. Socio culture issues-
Influence of Customs on Health.
Customs & Hygiene
Food Customs of Practices
Marriage & Customs
Customs other practices
Customs & child birth
Superstitions
3. Nurse’s role
4. Summary
5. Conclusion
6. Related research
7. Reference’s
INDEX-
3. INTRODUCTION -
Definition: Sociocultural is a term related to social and cultural factors, which means
common traditions, habits, patterns and beliefs present in a population group.
4. Culture is complex whole, which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, customs and any other capability
acquired by man or a member of society.
-Tylor
In sociology, the word 'culture' is used to denote acquired behaviour, which is shared by and transmitted among
members of society or community.
Customs and taboos- are various types of culture exist in the community within each culture. These customs
start even before birth and continue till life. Even after death all rituals are performed according to customs of
the culture.
5. Customs
Customs refer to practices that have been often repeated by a multitude of generations, practices that tend to
be followed simply, because they have been followed in the past.
-Davis
Custom is a broad term embracing all the folkways and mores. Any routine activity in itself is a habit from the
point of view of the individual person, but when it becomes general among the folk, it is known as folkways.
Example: exchanging greetings, shaking hand etc.
Taboos
When an activity or action violates the behaviour considered appropriate by a group is considered as taboos;
an action or activity prohibited and forbidden in the taboos. If anyone transgress, then it is ostracized by others
or in extreme instances are killed, i.e. taboos are something, which are forbidden or avoided for religion or
social reason.
E.g. Abortion
6. Influence of Customs on Health
Customs differ from society to society, country to country or community to community. Sometimes, simpler
customary action of the culture of society can be thus interpreted as improper by another, even it is difficult
to convince about the rational and irrational nature of customs because dissatisfaction, which later on can
cause various problems particularly psychosocial satisfaction and approval. And sometimes if carried out
certain customs can affect the health status of the individual
7. e.g. using ash or coffee powder on the umbilicus of new-born and not feed the colostrum
to neonate such as various customs may accompany pregnancy, childbirth and weaning,
the aim being successful reproduction and protects the life of mother and child.
To some extent, some of these traditional customs are helpful and some are not
scientific indeed may be positively harmful due to many superstitious beliefs are
associated with religion, illness is often taught/thought of as a result of evil spirits, i.e.
mental illness.
8. The cultural practices, which have influenced the health and disease are as follows:
1. Nutrition during pregnancy: During pregnancy women are advised not to take healthy food in some
cultures. It is said with the aspect of childbirth, it will be easy if the child is of small size. Such unhealthy
practice leads to low-birth-weight babies.
2. Breastfeeding: It has been observed that in some cultures mothers are not allowed to feed the baby for
the first 3 days. This is bad and irrelevant practice affecting health of neonate.
3. Feeding of girl child: In some culture it is practiced, where the women and girl child will eat the leftover
food in family and they are even not provided with adequate food, which can cause malnutrition, harmful
infestation and decreases immunity.
9. Customs and Hygiene
As stated earlier some customs related to personal hygiene includes the following:
Handwashing: Romans, Hebrews and Egyptians have tradition to wash their hand before and after meal
Guests who do not wash their hands before meal considered of having not a good manner, by the Greek
usually servants are used to offer vessel of water, so on to carry out the custom of handwashing. Now
everywhere it used, since it is good custom to remove the germs from hand and to prevent ingestion of
microorganism alone with food.
Bathing: In India, there are occasions in which baths are meant for some purposes such as festivals and
women
after menstruations have to take bath for purifying themselves. In some religions, even priest advices
ceremonial baths after the childbirth. These baths are apart from regular bath. All bathing is good tradition to
prevent certain diseases.
.
10. Oil Bath
Vegetable oils such as til (gingili seeds), groundnut or mustard is applied and managed
into the skin. It is a regular Indian custom to apply oil all over the body before bathing.
This practice helps the body to keep cool and soft, introduces some amount of fat and
also helps in entangling the dirt of the body. Particularly, when soap is used with warm
bath, this facilitates easy removal of dirt. Women folk in India also use a paste consisting
of gram flour and turmeric and rub it on the body before bath
11. Food Customs and Practices
1.Eating of the food and diet has been influenced by the customs and beliefs. People are
vegetarian and non-vegetarian because of their religion or customers. Such as in Hindus
society, vegetarianism is being honoured and in Muslim, Christians non-vegetarian food is
preferred. Even in vegetarian diet, eating pattern is not same. In certain religions, garlic and
onion is not eaten. Timings of eating dinner also different according to religion such as in
Jainism eating dinner before sunset is considered good. In case of non-vegetarian diet different
types of non-vegetarian items are eaten by different religions according to the customs such as
Muslims like beef and Hindus, pork.
12. 2. A study done in a village 'K' of K.V. Kuppam Block in North Arcot District, Tamil Nadu,
revealed that the villagers believe in a theory called 'Tridosha Theory' related to food and
disease. According to thus they believe that there must be a balance between three
elements in the body which correspond to three different kinds of food namely,
'Heat Producing Foods' (Soodu)
‘Cooling Foods' ( Seethalam)
‘Vaivu Foods' (Those that produce air or gas)
13. The villagers refer to food such as meat, eggs, legumes, nuts, groundnuts, gingili seeds, etc. as
heat producing foods. The heating effect has no relationship to temperature or spiciness but
refers to the physiological effect of the body. They believe that by eating such foods, diseases
such as diarrhoea, dysentery, scabies, boils, angular stomatitis, etc. occur.
The 'cold foods' or cooling foods' refer to food items such as tomatoes, pumpkin, lime,
oranges, custard apple, guavas, all the vegetables except root variety and milk, milk products
such as curds. The belief is that eating these items result in conditions such as cold, headache,
typhoid fever etc. The belief here again refers to the physiological effect of coolness that occurs
due to eating these food and not referring to the temperature etc. Therefore, these food items
are eliminated for the fear of these conditions.
The people believe that eating root vegetables give result to pains in the joints, stroke,
avitaminosis etc. and call these conditions as 'Vaivu diseases' (Vaivu= Gas). Thus, they avoid
eating these food items.
14. The findings of this study seem to reflect the beliefs, that exist in general in Tamil Nadu as a
whole.
In West Bengal people believe that if milk and fish are taken at the same time, leprosy and
leukoderma will be developed. So such a practice of consuming milk and fish together is
avoided.
It is interesting to note that in Africa, eggs are not given to children before the teeth are
erupted since it is believed that if eggs are given early it will lead to 'stupidity' in children. Fish
is avoided in children with a belief that it will give rise to skin reaction.
In Ethiopia, pregnant women avoid roasted meat, as it is believed to cause abortion. Eggs are
also avoided by women as it is believed that it will lead to baldness and sterility if consumed.
15. In Southern India people consider jaggery, gingili seeds etc. as hot foods. Again,
papaya is considered to be harmful for a pregnant mother as it is believed to cause
abortion. Some foods are considered to be cold foods' e.g., tomatoes, pumpkin, curds,
lime, etc. Hence, they are avoided after childbirth, after head bath etc., with the belief
that they produce colds, if eaten.
In Gujarat, dhal, gram, rice and fruits are avoided by nursing mothers. Even in South
India, dhal are avoided by nursing mothers as the people think that they produce flatus
and indigestion to the baby.
16. 3. Adulteration of milk with water is based on the belief that if pure milk is boiled then the milk of
the donor animal will be either reduced or dried up.
4. Sadhus consume charas, ganja, bhang, which is up. not considered good for the health and is
spreading among general population especially younger.
5. Fasts have influenced the health and sometimes can deteriorate the health such as Karva
Chauth fast, if kept by a pregnant woman or a diabetic lady. In Muslims, Ramzan are observed
by them and Hindus observe fasts on certain occasions such as Janmashtami, Karva Chauth,
Rama Navami, etc. and also in certain days such as Monday (Shiv pooja), Tuesday (Hanuman
pooja), etc.
6
17. 6. According to certain religions, customs related to eating are followed by women such
as women eat left over food of husbands. This is still prevalent in certain village
societies.
7. The custom of offering a prayer before eating was in order to distract any negative
spirits that might have infested. Even before a feast of celebration, primitive peoples
used to make sacrifices to their Gods that the food, which they intended would not
poison them.
18. Marriage and Custom
In India, many marriages are arranged and parents select the partner for their son or
daughter. Some customs early marriages are still prevalent in tribal and villages, which
are not good. The consanguineous marriages can cause hereditary disease among
children. In some religions polyandry type of marriage, which are present today leads to
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
The customs related to endogamy, i.e. marriage within family, relatives is still prevalent,
effects on physical and mental health. Sexual intercourse during menstruation is
forbidden and sexual relations between male and female in certain society not allowed
according to their customs, which is a good practice.
19. Customs and Other Practices
1. In order to have oral hygiene, twigs of neem, ash, charcoal and toothbrush are used.
Use of charcoal is not considered as good customs, because it spoils the teeth.
2. Certain customs encourages smoking of beedis, pipe and cigarettes have been
practices. It is very dangerous habits, which leads to certain health problem such as
tuberculosis, oral cancer, lung cancer, bronchitis, coronary artery disease (CAD), etc.
20. 3. Muslims women practices purdah system, which deprives them for the
beneficial effects of sunrays and increases incidence of health.
4. According to certain customs people have to sleep on
the ground can cause insect bites, which may lead to ill health
21. Customs and Childbirth
1. In some society, new-born children are not allowed to breastfeeding for 3 days and keeping
child on water only, and sugar solution is bad practice.
2. According to certain society, prolonged feeding without weaning is not a good practice, but
prolonged feeding, weaning and exposure to the baby to sun is good practice.
3. Deliveries conducted by untrained dais are not safe, since they use unsterile and unclean
technique.
22. 4. Branding of skin, which is a tradition custom among certain is considered not safe if
unsterile or unclean technique are used.
5. Among Muslims circumcision of new-born babies is custom should be performed with
sterile and clean technique.
6. Certain community apply kajal for the new-born babies eyes are in practice. Sometime
it is harmful as it can cause eye infection and can transmit trachoma. Paste of turmeric
on forehead is neither good nor bad custom
23. Superstitions
1. Certain diseases are considered to occur due to wrath of Gods and Goddesses.
2. Hysteria and epilepsy is considered as the problem occurring due to intrusion of spirit, but it
is a health problem and requires proper medical treatment.
3. Impure water of rivers is drunk by people, while considering it a pure/holy water.
24. Nurses role-
Nurse has a vital role to play in the improvement in the community. In order to be efficient, a
nurse needs to have a clear understanding of all such existing customs and practices of
people in order to make her teaching effective.
1. Changes in the food habits or practices cannot be brought in or superimposed but should
be integrated with the existing cultural pattern.
2. Suggest changes that are acceptable to the individuals and families within their
framework.
.
25. 3. Changes proposed regarding nutrition should be. minimal and the people should be
encouraged to use available foods which are cheap that are familiar to them and are
nutritious. Guide them to select such food items.
4. Nurses have to involve the people themselves while conducting nutrition
demonstration schemes, e.g. nutrition demonstration to mothers and children etc
26. Summary-
We have discussed about:
Sociocultural issues
Various Social issues in community health nursing
Various Cultural issues in community health nursing
27. Conclusion-
Each individual in the society acquires beliefs, customs and traditions in their everyday
social interaction, which is known as process of socialization. Each society has its rules
to maintain the relationships of authority and sub ordinate.
These rules, laws and enactments are social control measures. Th are customs in
society from which no one can escape and is divided into pathways and mores.
Culture is socially acquired learned behaviour transmitted from generation to
generation, when the people of different cultures come in contact and diffusion of culture
occurs, then it is known as acculturation. This acculturation can result due to
industrialization, trade, education, conquest, etc. Society is never static, it is dynamic
within society, there exist a number of social problems, which affect a large number of
people.
28. Related research-
Cultural aspects of primary healthcare in India A case- based analysis, Asia pacific family medicine, June 2011Worthington
RP1, Gogne A.
Delivering quality primary care to large populations is always challenging, and that is certainly the case in India. While the
sheer magnitude of patients can create difficulties, not all challenges are about logistics. Sometimes patient health-seeking
behaviour leads to delays in obtaining medical help for reasons that have more to do with culture, social practice and religious
belief. When primary care is accessed via busy state-run outpatient departments there is often little time for the physician to
investigate causes
Behind a patient's condition, and these factors can adversely affect patient outcomes. We consider the case of a woman with
somatic symptoms seemingly triggered by psychological stresses associated with social norms and familial cultural
expectations. These expectations conflict with her personal and professional aspirations, and although she eventually receives
psychiatric help and her problems are addressed, initially, psycho-social factors underlying her condition posed a hurdle in
terms of accessing appropriate medical care. While for many people culture, belief and social norms exert a stabilising,
positive influence, in situations where someone's personal expectations differ significantly from accepted social norms,
individual autonomy can be directly challenged, and in which case, something has to give..
29. Result of such challenges can negatively impact on health and well-being, and for patients with immature
defence mechanisms for dealing with inner conflict, such an experience can be damaging and ensuing somatic
disturbances are often difficult to treat. Patients with culture-bound symptoms are not uncommon within primary
care in India or in other Asian countries and communities. We argue that such cases need to be properly
understood if satisfactory patient outcomes are to be achieved. While some causes are structural, having to do
with how healthcare is accessed and delivered, others are about cultural values, social practices and beliefs. We
note how some young adult women are adversely affected and discuss some of the ethical issues that arise
