... And when people make crazy statements like this, Kathryn Oths is a professor of anthropology ... more ... And when people make crazy statements like this, Kathryn Oths is a professor of anthropology at the University of Ala-bama. Tara Robertson has an MA in anthropology and is currently in the Department of Counselor Education, University of Alabama, Tusca-loosa, Alabama. ...
Background: Women who experience unwanted pregnancy are at a greater risk of complicated pregnanc... more Background: Women who experience unwanted pregnancy are at a greater risk of complicated pregnancy outcomes, and their children are more likely to experience physical or psychological problems in infancy, than those women with wanted pregnancies. The objective of this research was to explain the impact of a partner on women's decisions to want or not want their pregnancies. Methods: A primary study subsample of 349 clinical interviews of pregnant women comprised the quantitative portion of the analysis, with a secondary study subsample of 20 in‐depth qualitative interviews of pregnant women complementing the statistical findings. Both samples included adult women (at least age 20 yr) of different ethnic groups who received Medicaid for their pregnancies and were in their first or early second trimester of pregnancy. Chi‐square, t tests, and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses.Results:A partner's stability, status, feelings toward pregnancy, and level of dependability and support all had a significant influence on women's experiences of unwanted pregnancy. Variables including use of contraception (OR = 3.3), women's ethnicity (OR = 1.9), partner's feelings about pregnancy (OR = 2.0), amount of social support (OR = 1.2), and mother's instrumental support (OR = 0.85) all affected women's perceptions of wanting the pregnancy. These results were used to create a model of unwanted pregnancy, beginning before conception and ending with either termination of pregnancy or initiation of prenatal care.Conclusions:The support and concern of a partner during pregnancy can have positive consequences for a mother's desire to carry out the pregnancy. To increase their commitment to the pregnancy and childbirth, partners should be included more in the prenatal care process.
Therapeutic healing symbols should be recognized as being embedded in and arising from a cultural... more Therapeutic healing symbols should be recognized as being embedded in and arising from a cultural context, which both specialists and nonspecialists then draw upon in treating the sick. The symbolic aspects of material features of medical systems have been discussed in reference to biomedicine, but little discussion has been devoted to these symbolic dimensions of traditional medical systems. Ethnographic data from an Andean hamlet in Northern Peru provides evidence that the symbolic content of remedies is rooted in the collective experience of the people and can be shared across all types of healing encounters. The three symbolic qualities of materia medica identified are blackness, topicality and liquidity, [index words: symbolic healing, ethnomedicine, medical anthropology, Peru, Andes]
This study of a chiropractor and his patients represents the first interaction analysis of an alt... more This study of a chiropractor and his patients represents the first interaction analysis of an alternative practitioner. Relationships between the types and quantities of communications in clinical exchanges and patient satisfaction with treatment are examined using both quantitative and qualitative analysis of verbal dialogue and clinical observations. Findings suggest that patient satisfaction is enhanced by a practitioner-patient relationship characterized by initial transmission of large amounts of comprehensible information successively supplanted by personal affective dialogue. New patients are usually unfamiliar with the chiropractic belief system and may have special communication needs due to the psychoemotional component to their, often chronic, problems. The chiropractor provides the patient with a structured, supportive environment and theoretical explanations designed to take the mystery out of process and problems. In essence, the chiropractor first manipulates a patient's belief structure before manipulating his or her physical structure, providing an analogous structural realignment in both the mind and body. Contrasts between biomedical and chiropractic clinical encounters are noted.
Mexican immigrants in the U.S. show high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk is asso... more Mexican immigrants in the U.S. show high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk is associated with longer duration of residency. This study considers the impact of culture over time for Mexican immigrant women in a southern U.S. city. Using cultural consensus analysis to empirically derive the substance and structure of a cultural model for la buena vida (the good life) among Mexican immigrant women in Birmingham, Alabama, we assess the extent to which respondents are aligned with the model in their everyday lives. This measure of 'cultural consonance' is explored as a moderating variable between length of time living in the U.S. and level of Hemoglobin A 1c. Results demonstrate that for those with more time in the U.S., those with lower consonance are more likely to have diabetes, while those who are more aligned with la buena vida are at lower risk.
... Medical treatment choice and health outcomes in the northern Peruvian Andes. Oths, Kathryn Su... more ... Medical treatment choice and health outcomes in the northern Peruvian Andes. Oths, Kathryn Sue. Display Full Text | Download Full Text 14.98 MB PDF file. Degree Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Anthropology, 1991. ...
Culture influences food consumption and nutrient intake. In this paper we present a new approach ... more Culture influences food consumption and nutrient intake. In this paper we present a new approach in research, examining how knowledge and understanding of food is encoded in cultural models. The degree to which individuals match these shared models in their own consumption patterns is then measured, using the concept of cultural consonance. In research conducted in urban Brazil, the configuration of cultural models of food, and the association of cultural consonance in food with nutrient intake, are moderated by socioeconomic status. The theory and method employed here offers a new approach to the study of culture, food, and nutrient intake.
Mexican immigrant women come to the United States in pursuit of what they call la buena vida (the... more Mexican immigrant women come to the United States in pursuit of what they call la buena vida (the good life) for themselves and for their children. The research described here attempts to better understand what la buena vida means to these women in terms of what they perceive as necessary to achieve this ideal. While the theoretical construct of acculturation is typically used to study what happens to individuals transitioning from one cultural orientation to another, this study utilizes a cognitive approach to resolve some of the inherent problems in acculturation research—specifically, the failure to define or measure culture or to link culture to the individual. Cultural consensus analysis is used to empirically describe how la buena vida is conceptualized among Mexican-born women living in Birmingham, Alabama, and areas of both agreement and disagreement regarding the domain are explored.
To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mamma... more To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution of reproductive inequality. We show that humans exhibit lower reproductive skew (i.e., inequality in the number of surviving offspring) among males and smaller sex differences in reproductive skew than most other mammals, while nevertheless falling within the mammalian range. Additionally, female reproductive skew is higher in polygynous human populations than in polygynous nonhumans mammals on average. This patterning of skew can be attributed in part to the prevalence of monogamy in humans compared to the predominance of polygyny in nonhuman mammals, to the limited degree of polygyny in the human societies that practice it, and to the importance of unequally held rival resources to women’s fitness. The muted reproductive inequality observed in humans appears to be linked to several unusual characteristics of our species—including high levels of cooperation among males...
Mexican immigrants in the U.S. show high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk is asso... more Mexican immigrants in the U.S. show high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk is associated with longer duration of residency. This study considers the impact of culture over time for Mexican immigrant women in a southern U.S. city. Using cultural consensus analysis to empirically derive the substance and structure of a cultural model for la buena vida (the good life) among Mexican immigrant women in Birmingham, Alabama, we assess the extent to which respondents are aligned with the model in their everyday lives. This measure of 'cultural consonance' is explored as a moderating variable between length of time living in the U.S. and level of Hemoglobin A 1c. Results demonstrate that for those with more time in the U.S., those with lower consonance are more likely to have diabetes, while those who are more aligned with la buena vida are at lower risk.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Mexican-born women in the U.S. are at high risk of depression. While acculturation is the primary... more Mexican-born women in the U.S. are at high risk of depression. While acculturation is the primary analytical framework used to study immigrant mental health, this research suffers from (1) a lack of specificity regarding how cultural models of living and being take shape among migrants converging in new destinations in the U.S., and (2) methods to empirically capture the impact of cultural positioning on individual health outcomes. Instead of relying on proxy measures of age at arrival and time in the U.S. to indicate where an individual is located on the acculturation spectrum, this study uses cultural consensus analysis to derive the substance and structure of a cultural model for la buena vida (the good life) among Mexican immigrant women in Birmingham, Alabama, and then assesses the extent to which respondents are aligned with the model in their everyday lives. This measure of ‘cultural consonance’ is explored as a moderating variable between age at arrival in the U.S. and numbe...
... And when people make crazy statements like this, Kathryn Oths is a professor of anthropology ... more ... And when people make crazy statements like this, Kathryn Oths is a professor of anthropology at the University of Ala-bama. Tara Robertson has an MA in anthropology and is currently in the Department of Counselor Education, University of Alabama, Tusca-loosa, Alabama. ...
Background: Women who experience unwanted pregnancy are at a greater risk of complicated pregnanc... more Background: Women who experience unwanted pregnancy are at a greater risk of complicated pregnancy outcomes, and their children are more likely to experience physical or psychological problems in infancy, than those women with wanted pregnancies. The objective of this research was to explain the impact of a partner on women's decisions to want or not want their pregnancies. Methods: A primary study subsample of 349 clinical interviews of pregnant women comprised the quantitative portion of the analysis, with a secondary study subsample of 20 in‐depth qualitative interviews of pregnant women complementing the statistical findings. Both samples included adult women (at least age 20 yr) of different ethnic groups who received Medicaid for their pregnancies and were in their first or early second trimester of pregnancy. Chi‐square, t tests, and logistic regression were used for statistical analyses.Results:A partner's stability, status, feelings toward pregnancy, and level of dependability and support all had a significant influence on women's experiences of unwanted pregnancy. Variables including use of contraception (OR = 3.3), women's ethnicity (OR = 1.9), partner's feelings about pregnancy (OR = 2.0), amount of social support (OR = 1.2), and mother's instrumental support (OR = 0.85) all affected women's perceptions of wanting the pregnancy. These results were used to create a model of unwanted pregnancy, beginning before conception and ending with either termination of pregnancy or initiation of prenatal care.Conclusions:The support and concern of a partner during pregnancy can have positive consequences for a mother's desire to carry out the pregnancy. To increase their commitment to the pregnancy and childbirth, partners should be included more in the prenatal care process.
Therapeutic healing symbols should be recognized as being embedded in and arising from a cultural... more Therapeutic healing symbols should be recognized as being embedded in and arising from a cultural context, which both specialists and nonspecialists then draw upon in treating the sick. The symbolic aspects of material features of medical systems have been discussed in reference to biomedicine, but little discussion has been devoted to these symbolic dimensions of traditional medical systems. Ethnographic data from an Andean hamlet in Northern Peru provides evidence that the symbolic content of remedies is rooted in the collective experience of the people and can be shared across all types of healing encounters. The three symbolic qualities of materia medica identified are blackness, topicality and liquidity, [index words: symbolic healing, ethnomedicine, medical anthropology, Peru, Andes]
This study of a chiropractor and his patients represents the first interaction analysis of an alt... more This study of a chiropractor and his patients represents the first interaction analysis of an alternative practitioner. Relationships between the types and quantities of communications in clinical exchanges and patient satisfaction with treatment are examined using both quantitative and qualitative analysis of verbal dialogue and clinical observations. Findings suggest that patient satisfaction is enhanced by a practitioner-patient relationship characterized by initial transmission of large amounts of comprehensible information successively supplanted by personal affective dialogue. New patients are usually unfamiliar with the chiropractic belief system and may have special communication needs due to the psychoemotional component to their, often chronic, problems. The chiropractor provides the patient with a structured, supportive environment and theoretical explanations designed to take the mystery out of process and problems. In essence, the chiropractor first manipulates a patient's belief structure before manipulating his or her physical structure, providing an analogous structural realignment in both the mind and body. Contrasts between biomedical and chiropractic clinical encounters are noted.
Mexican immigrants in the U.S. show high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk is asso... more Mexican immigrants in the U.S. show high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk is associated with longer duration of residency. This study considers the impact of culture over time for Mexican immigrant women in a southern U.S. city. Using cultural consensus analysis to empirically derive the substance and structure of a cultural model for la buena vida (the good life) among Mexican immigrant women in Birmingham, Alabama, we assess the extent to which respondents are aligned with the model in their everyday lives. This measure of 'cultural consonance' is explored as a moderating variable between length of time living in the U.S. and level of Hemoglobin A 1c. Results demonstrate that for those with more time in the U.S., those with lower consonance are more likely to have diabetes, while those who are more aligned with la buena vida are at lower risk.
... Medical treatment choice and health outcomes in the northern Peruvian Andes. Oths, Kathryn Su... more ... Medical treatment choice and health outcomes in the northern Peruvian Andes. Oths, Kathryn Sue. Display Full Text | Download Full Text 14.98 MB PDF file. Degree Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Anthropology, 1991. ...
Culture influences food consumption and nutrient intake. In this paper we present a new approach ... more Culture influences food consumption and nutrient intake. In this paper we present a new approach in research, examining how knowledge and understanding of food is encoded in cultural models. The degree to which individuals match these shared models in their own consumption patterns is then measured, using the concept of cultural consonance. In research conducted in urban Brazil, the configuration of cultural models of food, and the association of cultural consonance in food with nutrient intake, are moderated by socioeconomic status. The theory and method employed here offers a new approach to the study of culture, food, and nutrient intake.
Mexican immigrant women come to the United States in pursuit of what they call la buena vida (the... more Mexican immigrant women come to the United States in pursuit of what they call la buena vida (the good life) for themselves and for their children. The research described here attempts to better understand what la buena vida means to these women in terms of what they perceive as necessary to achieve this ideal. While the theoretical construct of acculturation is typically used to study what happens to individuals transitioning from one cultural orientation to another, this study utilizes a cognitive approach to resolve some of the inherent problems in acculturation research—specifically, the failure to define or measure culture or to link culture to the individual. Cultural consensus analysis is used to empirically describe how la buena vida is conceptualized among Mexican-born women living in Birmingham, Alabama, and areas of both agreement and disagreement regarding the domain are explored.
To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mamma... more To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution of reproductive inequality. We show that humans exhibit lower reproductive skew (i.e., inequality in the number of surviving offspring) among males and smaller sex differences in reproductive skew than most other mammals, while nevertheless falling within the mammalian range. Additionally, female reproductive skew is higher in polygynous human populations than in polygynous nonhumans mammals on average. This patterning of skew can be attributed in part to the prevalence of monogamy in humans compared to the predominance of polygyny in nonhuman mammals, to the limited degree of polygyny in the human societies that practice it, and to the importance of unequally held rival resources to women’s fitness. The muted reproductive inequality observed in humans appears to be linked to several unusual characteristics of our species—including high levels of cooperation among males...
Mexican immigrants in the U.S. show high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk is asso... more Mexican immigrants in the U.S. show high incidence of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk is associated with longer duration of residency. This study considers the impact of culture over time for Mexican immigrant women in a southern U.S. city. Using cultural consensus analysis to empirically derive the substance and structure of a cultural model for la buena vida (the good life) among Mexican immigrant women in Birmingham, Alabama, we assess the extent to which respondents are aligned with the model in their everyday lives. This measure of 'cultural consonance' is explored as a moderating variable between length of time living in the U.S. and level of Hemoglobin A 1c. Results demonstrate that for those with more time in the U.S., those with lower consonance are more likely to have diabetes, while those who are more aligned with la buena vida are at lower risk.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Mexican-born women in the U.S. are at high risk of depression. While acculturation is the primary... more Mexican-born women in the U.S. are at high risk of depression. While acculturation is the primary analytical framework used to study immigrant mental health, this research suffers from (1) a lack of specificity regarding how cultural models of living and being take shape among migrants converging in new destinations in the U.S., and (2) methods to empirically capture the impact of cultural positioning on individual health outcomes. Instead of relying on proxy measures of age at arrival and time in the U.S. to indicate where an individual is located on the acculturation spectrum, this study uses cultural consensus analysis to derive the substance and structure of a cultural model for la buena vida (the good life) among Mexican immigrant women in Birmingham, Alabama, and then assesses the extent to which respondents are aligned with the model in their everyday lives. This measure of ‘cultural consonance’ is explored as a moderating variable between age at arrival in the U.S. and numbe...
Healing by Hand presents the first cross-cultural perspective on manual medicine studies-- the pr... more Healing by Hand presents the first cross-cultural perspective on manual medicine studies-- the practice of body therapists that is routinely overlooked by medical practitioners and social scientists. The authors describe how body therapists are one of the primary providers of "traditional" medicine. Manual medicine takes numerous forms across the world's communities and represents various beliefs and practices about healing, physical and psychological states, and the relation between culture and health. This volume is especially recommended for manual practitioners of Western medicine, including massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, and osteopaths, as well as those with traditional training.
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