Cultural beliefs and health behaviors of pregnant Mexican-American women: Implications for primary care

Abstract

A significant aspect of holistic primary care nursing is that it seeks to assess and understand clients' health beliefs and behaviors in the context of culture. This article examines implications for primary care nursing practice based on the cultural beliefs and health behaviors of pregnant Mexican-American women. Giger and Davidhizar's transcultural assessment model is used to evaluate six cultural phenomena present in all cultural groups. Culturally sensitive primary care by certified nurse-midwives in a community health birth center setting is described.