This study describes and compares Panamanians’ and Panamanian Americans’ practices for health promotion and wellness, disease and illness prevention, and the meaning of respect afforded them by health care providers. Understanding a person’s beliefs and values when planning nursing and health care interventions helps the caregiver provide culturally acceptable care that improves clients’ satisfaction and health status. Culturally respectful, acceptable, and appropriate care conserves the utilization of human, material, and financial resources. This sample comprised 70 subjects: 50 in the Republic of Panama and 20 from the DelMarVa Peninsula in the United States. This study uses selected primary and secondary characteristics of culture and selected domains from the Purnell Model for Cultural Competence as guides for questionnaire development, data analysis, and discussion of the findings.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Ailinger, R. , & Causey, M. (1995). Health concept of older Hispanic immigrants. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 17(6), 605-613.
2.
Andrews, M. , & Boyle, J. (1999). Transcultural concepts in nursing care. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.
3.
Astroth, J. , Berg, R., Berkey, D., McDowell, J., Hamman, R., & Mann, J. (1998). Dental caries prevalence and treatment need in Chiriqui Province, Panama. International Dental Journal, 48(3), 203-209.
4.
Barry, T. , & Lindsay-Poland, J. (1995). Inside Panama: The essential guide to its politics, economy, society, and environment. Albuquerque, NM: Resource Center Press.
5.
Campinha-Bacote, J. (1998). The process of cultural competence in the delivery of healthcare services: A culturally competent model. Cincinnati, OH: Transcultural C.A.R.E. Associates.
6.
Cavillo, E. , & Flaskerud, J. (1991). Review of literature on culture and pain of adults with focus on Mexican Americans. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 2(2), 16-23.
7.
Christensen, H. , de Vasques, A., & Petersen, J. (1999). Short report epidemiologic studies on leichmaniasis in eastern Panama. American Journal of Tropical Medicine, 60(1), 54-57.
8.
Chue-de-coto, E. (1997). The incidence of hip fractures in pre- and post-menopausal women in Panama. Medicine Panama, 22(1), 30-38.
9.
Destination Panama . (1999). Lonely Planet.com. Retrieved May 24, 1999, from the World Wide Web.
10.
Geissler, E. (1993). Pocketguide to cultural assessment. St. Louis, MO: C. V. Mosby.
11.
Giger, R. , & Davidhizar, R. (1998). Transcultural nursing: Assessment and intervention. St. Louis, MO: C. V. Mosby.
12.
Grossman, D. (1998). Cuban-Americans. In L. Purnell & B. Paulanka(Eds.), Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach (pp. 148-168). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.
13.
Jurabe, T. (1998). Puerto Ricans (electronic chapter). In L. Purnell & B. Paulanka (Eds.), Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.
14.
Kraus, E. (1989). Management in two cultures: Bridging the gap between U.S. and Mexican managers. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
15.
Marin, G. , Amaro, H., Eisenberg, C., & Stitzer, S. (1993). The development of a relevant comprehensive research agenda to improve Hispanic health. Public Health Reports, 108(5), 546-550.
16.
McGinby, M. (1983). In the best of traditions...to balance western practices with traditional midwifery and healing in the villages of Panama. Nursing Mirror, 157(18), vii-xi.
17.
McKenna, A. (1989). Twice in need of care: A transcultural nursing analysis of elderly Mexican Americans. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 1(1), 46-52.
18.
Mora, J. , Gueri, M., & Mora, O. (1998). Vitamin A deficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean: An overview. Journal of the Pan American Health Organization, 30(1), 43-50.
19.
Patcher, L. (1994). Culture and clinical care: Folkillnesses and behaviors and their implications for healthcare delivery. Journal of the American Medical Association, 271(9), 690-694.
20.
Purnell, L. (1998a). Chapter I: An introduction to transcultural health care. In L. Purnell & B. Paulanka, (Eds.), Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach (pp. 1-5). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.
21.
Purnell, L. (1998b). Chapter II: Purnell’s Model for Cultural Competence. In L. Purnell & B. Paulanka, (Eds.), Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach (pp. 6-41). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.
22.
Purnell, L. (1998c). Mexican-Americans. In L. Purnell & B. Paulanka, (Eds.), Transcultural health care: A culturally competent approach (pp. 314-333). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co.
23.
Purnell, L. (1999). University of Delaware students go to Panama. DNA Reporter, 40(1), 20-22.
24.
Quiroz, E. , Ortega, M., Guzman, M., Vasquez, S., Pelegrino, J., Bayard, V., Vasquez, M., & Kouri, G. (1997). Denguein Panama. Tropical Medicine, 49(2), 86-93.
25.
Suzuki, H. (1995). Immigrant health needs: Case of Mexicans on the island of Hawaii. Manoa, HI: School of Public Health, University of Hawaii.
26.
Torres, S. (1993). Nursing care of low-income battered Hispanic pregnant women. AWHONN’s Clinical Issues, 4(3), 416-423.
27.
White, W. , Crom, R., & Walker, K. (1996). Assessment of the risk of introducing foot-and-mouth disease into Panama via ferry. Annals of New York Academy of Science, 30(1), 43-50.
28.
Zayas, I. , & Fabiana, S. (1991). Early childhood socialization in Hispanic families: Context, culture, and practice implications. Professional psychology: Research and practice, 25(3), 200-206.
29.
Zoucha, R. (1998). The experiences of Mexican-Americans receiving professional nursing care: An ethnonursing study. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 9(2), 34-45.
