Essentials of Health, Culture, and Diversity: Understanding People, Reducing Disparities

Edberg (prevention and community health, George Washington U.) provides undergraduate students in public health with tools and perspectives for understanding the relationship between culture and health. He examines what is meant by culture; the ways it intersects with health issues, including in varying definitions of health and well-being, understandings of health risk, illness causation and treatment theories, healing/curing traditions, illness and morality, the relationship between health risk and sociocultural structures, gender, and the meaning of cultural competency; how public health efforts can benefit by understanding and working with cultural processes; conceptual tools and research methods that can be used in identifying relationships between culture and health; and applications to HIV/AIDS, obesity, and youth violence, as well as practical guidelines for incorporating cultural understanding in public health settings, and example programs. Annotation �穢2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)