Introduction and Key Terms
Approximately 300,000 individuals in America are members of an Amish community, making the Amish one of fastest growing populations in the nation (Diebel, 2014). Known within the health care sector for their strict adherence to a traditional lifestyle and “reluctance to seek preventative health care and delaying necessary medical treatment” (Brewer and Bonalumi, 1995, p. 494), the Amish are distinct from most other communities in America. Despite aversion to preventative health care, the Amish do seek out professional health services when necessary (Banks and Benchot, 2001), so it is imperative that health service professionals who work in hospitals and clinics near Amish communities have an understanding of Amish …show more content…
Minimal health literacy rates within Amish communities contribute to the current aversion to modern medicine, and this is problematic in that many Amish individuals are never equipped to become health literate and to make their own health care decisions. Inefficient communication and ideological conflicts are the primary barriers that Amish individuals face in regards to health literacy. To demonstrate how to increase health literacy while overcoming these systematic barriers and celebrating community strengths, prenatal care interventions implemented in an Amish community in Geauga County, Ohio will be used as a …show more content…
First settling in America in the early 18th century, the Amish were members of the Anabaptist church that originated in Switzerland, (Banks and Benchot, 2001) and the crux of the Anabaptist church was and is “the desire to reject worldliness and materialism” (Brewer and Bonalumi, 1995, p. 495). This rejection of worldliness permeates Amish life in obvious and subtle ways. On the surface level, limited use of electricity, plain dress, and horse and buggy transportation are all byproducts of the Amish rejection of worldliness (Diebel, 2014), but those external choices have deep ideological and spiritual roots that also influence things such as health
Approximately 300,000 individuals in America are members of an Amish community, making the Amish one of fastest growing populations in the nation (Diebel, 2014). Known within the health care sector for their strict adherence to a traditional lifestyle and “reluctance to seek preventative health care and delaying necessary medical treatment” (Brewer and Bonalumi, 1995, p. 494), the Amish are distinct from most other communities in America. Despite aversion to preventative health care, the Amish do seek out professional health services when necessary (Banks and Benchot, 2001), so it is imperative that health service professionals who work in hospitals and clinics near Amish communities have an understanding of Amish …show more content…
Minimal health literacy rates within Amish communities contribute to the current aversion to modern medicine, and this is problematic in that many Amish individuals are never equipped to become health literate and to make their own health care decisions. Inefficient communication and ideological conflicts are the primary barriers that Amish individuals face in regards to health literacy. To demonstrate how to increase health literacy while overcoming these systematic barriers and celebrating community strengths, prenatal care interventions implemented in an Amish community in Geauga County, Ohio will be used as a …show more content…
First settling in America in the early 18th century, the Amish were members of the Anabaptist church that originated in Switzerland, (Banks and Benchot, 2001) and the crux of the Anabaptist church was and is “the desire to reject worldliness and materialism” (Brewer and Bonalumi, 1995, p. 495). This rejection of worldliness permeates Amish life in obvious and subtle ways. On the surface level, limited use of electricity, plain dress, and horse and buggy transportation are all byproducts of the Amish rejection of worldliness (Diebel, 2014), but those external choices have deep ideological and spiritual roots that also influence things such as health