The Dutch people, who are otherwise referred to as Nederlanders, are an ethnic group that is native the Netherlands. The total population of the Dutch people in the United States is approximately 4.5 million (The Economist, 2018). However, it must also be noted that the Dutch people have stretched in other countries around the world including the Brazil, Canada, and South Africa among others. An evaluation of the Dutch culture shows notable diversities that are reflected by the regional differences and foreign influence that the people have experienced over the years. The Dutch culture has, for a long time, been viewed as the center of cultural liberalism, as well as, tolerance attributed to its acceptance of other cultures from different parts of the world. The focus of this report is to examine the influence that the Dutch culture has had on health beliefs while engaging in an in-depth cultural assessment.
Ethnic Beliefs and Behaviors on Family and Religion
The Dutch people have a close connection to the basic unit of family throughout their lives with family members holding each other to high values and standards. One of the most unique aspects associated with the Dutch peoples’ belief in family is the fact that they maintain a distinction within the family setting depending on whether one is a member by marriage or blood. From this perspective, it is a common practice for the Dutch people to always be willing to offer support and solidarity to their closest kin, who include parents, siblings, or even children. The Dutch culture prides itself as have a high level of religious tolerance attributed to the notable acceptance of different religions including Roman Catholics and protestants. However, it must also be noted that approximately 42% of the Dutch people do not identify with any religion, which builds on the understanding of religious tolerance.
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Ethnic Beliefs and Behaviors Towards Healthcare
EuroMed Info (2019) reflects on the understanding that culture tends to create a system through which to define specific health beliefs reflected by what people accept as part of their perceptions towards healthcare. The ethnic beliefs and behaviors among the Dutch people towards healthcare are reflected by the fact that their understanding of health is much more preventive rather than focusing on curative medicine. The Dutch people believe in screening and medical check-ups that are of great importance towards improving on the ability for the people to focus much attention on preventive care (Van De Beek, Van Der Krieke, Schoevers, & Veling, 2017). When evaluating their health behavior while in the United States, one of the key aspects to note is that a significant number of the Dutch people have medical insurance.
Regarding their diet, the Dutch have embraced a diet that can be termed as being healthy when compared to another other ethnic group within the United States. The Dutch diet consists of a lot of vegetables while comprising of little amounts of meat to help meet their daily protein demands. Most of the food associated with the Dutch people is often topped up with cheese, which is considered as being an important food element among the Dutch people. Regarding their ethnic behaviors in health care settings, the Dutch people tend to have an approach allowing them to engage with health professionals at a much more personal level. The expectation is that this would allow them to build on their capacity to achieve best possible outcomes with regard to their demand for health.
Ethnicity Ability to Access Healthcare
Regarding their access to health care, it can be argued that the Dutch people have a higher level of access to health care facilities within the United States when compared to any other ethnic group living in the United States. Ultee et al. (2018) indicate that majority of the Dutch people living in the United States have invested heavily in medical insurance, which is part of the ethnic behaviors towards healthcare. The huge investment in medical insurance has served as a guarantee that the Dutch people would access quality health care services. Additionally, a significant number of the Dutch people in the United States live in urban areas where access to health care is somewhat easier due to the high number of health facilities.
Characteristics of Cultural Assessment
When assessing culture, it is important to gather specific information from a patient to determine his or her ethnic belief towards healthcare. EuroMed Info (2019) reflects on some of the key questions that ought to be considered when doing a cultural assessment for a patient visiting a health facility, as this would help promoting cultural sensitivity in the health care approaches. From this understanding, the information that health providers ought to gather from patients while doing a cultural assessment include:
Their belief on what may have caused the disease
Their belief on why the disease may have started
Their understanding of the disease’s severity
Their perception on expected results
What they fear most regarding the illness
Conclusion
The Dutch people, who are otherwise referred to as Nederlanders, are an ethnic group that is native the Netherlands with a population of 4.5 million living in United States. The Dutch culture has been viewed as the center of cultural liberalism and tolerance. The Dutch people have a close connection to the basic unit of family throughout their lives while priding themselves in having a high religious tolerance. The ethnic beliefs and behaviors among the Dutch people towards healthcare are reflected by the fact that their understanding of health is much more preventive rather than focusing on curative medicine.
References
EuroMed Info. (2019). Doing a cultural assessment . Retrieved from https://www.euromedinfo.eu/doing-a-cultural-assessment.html/ on January 28, 2020.
EuroMed Info. (2019). How culture influences health beliefs . Retrieved from https://www.euromedinfo.eu/how-culture-influences-health-beliefs.html/ on January 28, 2020.
The Economist. (2018). Why are Dutch-Americans so different from the Dutch? Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/united-states/2018/05/24/why-are-dutch-americans-so-different-from-the-dutch on January 28, 2020.
Ultee, K. H., Tjeertes, E. K., Gonçalves, F. B., Rouwet, E. V., Hoofwijk, A. G., Stolker, R. J., ... & Hoeks, S. E. (2018). The relation between household income and surgical outcome in the Dutch setting of equal access to and provision of healthcare. PloS one , 13 (1).
Van De Beek, M. H., Van Der Krieke, L., Schoevers, R. A., & Veling, W. (2017). Social exclusion and psychopathology in an online cohort of Moroccan-Dutch migrants: Results of the MEDINA-study. PloS one , 12 (7).
