Culture and Health

The Western Biomedical Model

At present, the predominant theory of health officially taught and practiced in major medical institutions in the United States and most industrialized countries is based on the Western biomedical model. According to this model, health is defined as the absence of disease. Relying heavily on physiology, anatomy, and biochemistry, the biomedical approach assumes that disease is caused by pathogenic elements within biological structures (e.g., bacteria, virus infection, a broken leg) (Armstrong & Swartzman, 2001). The treatment goal is to identify the abnormal elements in the body and to remove or control the source of illness by physical surgery and medication.

Non-Western Biomedical Models

In contrast to the Western biomedical model, the most widely cited definition of health developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the conceptualization of health according to various non-Western cultural models take a more holistic approach. The WHO (1948) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The arrays of different non-Western cultural approaches around the world are generally consistent in conceptualizing health as a state of harmony with forces of various internal and external elements, within not only the body but also the mind, the spiritual, as well as the natural, and even the supernatural environment that surrounds them. According to these non-Western cultural models, illness occurs when the balance between these forces is disrupted, and the treatment goal is to restore the balance (Mulatu & Berry, 2001). Yin and yang, according to indigenous Chinese culture, and the Hispanic view of health involving the concept of “hot” and “cold” are examples of this balance theory. These theories divide elements that make up the internal and external world into two opposing forces. When one force within and around the individual is excessively dominant in its relation to the other force, the balance is disrupted and leads to poor health. This imbalance may be reinstated by eating foods that contain the subdominant force and using alternative treatment practices, such as acupuncture, moxibustion (e.g., chiropractic, physical massaging, cupping), and herbal remedies.

Alternative Health Practices

Alternative health practices derived from non-Western cultural models have gained popularity and acceptance in the United States in recent years. More people, regardless of their ethnicity, use some forms of alternative medical practices fully or as a part of their health treatment. The wider acceptance of alternative medical practices is also evident in the facts [Page 307]that the increasing number of insurance and managed care systems have started to include coverage for alternative medical practices and that most major U.S. medical schools and institutions currently offer classes on alternative medicine. In sum, the conceptualization of health in different cultural groups often emphasizes the balance among various forces not only within individual physiology but also encompassing social, emotional, environmental, and spiritual factors. The alternative health practices derived from these theories are increasingly accepted and incorporated into the Western medical models.

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