Culture & Health

In the Filipino culture, a state of health is maintained by a balance between hot and cold elements, and an illness is caused by an imbalance of the two (Abad et al., 2014).  The first common cultural practice is related to the post-partum phase for the mother and post-partum depression treatment.  Childbirth is considered “hot”, therefore during the post-partum phase, the mother refrains from being exposed to a hot environment, usually staying inside the home during the first six weeks after birth and delaying bathing, and avoids eating “hot” foods which could hinder her recovery.  Post-partum depression, also known as nabaliw in Tagalog, is considered a “cold” element, and one of the dangers that a post-partum mother may endure. In order to treat post-partum depression, the mother is wrapped in a blanket while sitting on burnt herbal leaves, causing her to sweat, thus eliminating the cold elements (Abad et al., 2014).  The practice of staying inside the home for the first six weeks after birth, can be considered helpful to health, as it gives the mother time to physically recover from the trauma of birth. The practice of delaying bathing following birth can be considered harmful to health, as I believe this can promote infection, especially if the mother has endured trauma during birth.  The practice of making a post-partum depressed mother sweat out her depression can be considered harmful because I believe a psychological or mental incapacity cannot be healed through perspiration.  In the Filipino culture, mental illness is considered taboo.  Filipinos are usually unwilling to accept they or someone they know is experiencing mental illness, due to the fear of being ridiculed, and often rely on family, friends, indigenous healers, or religion to avoid seeking professional mental health services (Standford School of Medicine, 2020). 

Another common cultural health practice amongst Filipinos is withholding medical treatment for ailments, which is a common practice with older Filipino adults.  Before seeking medical treatment from health professionals, Filipino adults tend to manage their illnesses by self-monitoring their symptoms, thinking of possible causes for their symptoms, determining the illness’s impact on their functional capacity, and considering the emotional and financial burden that the illness could cause for their families (Stanford School of Medicine, 2020).  In addition, Filipino adults may seek the advice of healers or family or friends that are in the medical field before pursuing professional medical treatment (Stanford School of Medicine, 2020).  This practice of withholding medical treatment can be seen as harmful to health because adults that partake in this practice are delaying their own treatments, which could cause further injury or potential death. 

Another common health practice amongst Filipinos is the utilization of traditional home remedies such as alternative or complimentary means of treatment for diseases and illnesses.  For Filipinos that use alternative treatment methods for diseases and illnesses, they may consult witch doctors or priests.  The priests or witch doctors may use prayers, incantations, medicinal herbs and plants, holy oils, amulets or talismans, to help cure away the disease or illness (Stanford School of Medicine, 2020).  This practice of utilizing witch doctors and priests and alternative healing modalities can be considered harmful to health because this could cause a delay in professional medical treatment or prevent the sick from seeking professional medical treatment altogether.