Italian-American Assessment
Americans typically use the famous rhyme “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue” in order to remember when and by whom the United States was founded. However, people of Italian descent often look at this saying with a sense of pride due to the fact that the well-known explorer, Christopher Columbus, was Italian. Additionally, the name America stems from yet another Italian voyager, Amerigo Vespucci (Spector, 2013, p. 331). This sense of Italian pride and identity in the United States led the immigrants to travel to this country when the issue of poverty arose in their home nation. According to Spector (2013), the migration of over 5 million Italians struck sporadically between the years of 1820 and 1990 (p. 331). …show more content…
Over time, their health-related views have been slightly altered by acknowledging that suppressing any troubled emotions, such as depression or anxiety, can induce illness. They have determined that biological variations and several maternal factors could perhaps be capable of causing disease, as well (Spector, 2013, p. 333). Biological variations occur within each culture that may or may not predispose its’ members to specific illnesses. With reference to Italian-Americans, genetics may put them at a significantly higher risk for developing certain anemia disorders, such as favism and thalassemia. Favism is a type of hemolytic anemia that is commonly diagnosed among the culture. It is an X-linked genetic disorder that typically results in insufficient levels of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme. The irregular destruction of red blood cells is triggered by consumption of fava beans when the enzyme is unavailable (Dayer-Berenson, 2011, p. 290). Furthermore, Dayer-Berenson (2011) suggests that Italians are more susceptible to having either alpha or beta thalassemia syndrome in which there is a “reduced or flawed production of hemoglobin,” an essential element for formation of red blood cells (p. …show more content…
186). Therefore, an ill Italian may fail to visit their health care provider if they suspect that their sickness has originated from the evil eye, curses, or contaminated air. This, in turn, could quite possibly lead to attempts of alternative curative methods and/or progression and worsening of illness. Moreover, Italian-Americans may lack the motivation to take any recommended preventative measures and precautions due to their perception of past and present time. Failure to obey preventative health care can cause development or exacerbation of symptoms in the Italian hereditary diseases, favism and thalassemia. Finally, in consideration of Italian norms, exposure to disease-causing microorganisms is more likely to be prevalent in the absence of personal
Americans typically use the famous rhyme “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue” in order to remember when and by whom the United States was founded. However, people of Italian descent often look at this saying with a sense of pride due to the fact that the well-known explorer, Christopher Columbus, was Italian. Additionally, the name America stems from yet another Italian voyager, Amerigo Vespucci (Spector, 2013, p. 331). This sense of Italian pride and identity in the United States led the immigrants to travel to this country when the issue of poverty arose in their home nation. According to Spector (2013), the migration of over 5 million Italians struck sporadically between the years of 1820 and 1990 (p. 331). …show more content…
Over time, their health-related views have been slightly altered by acknowledging that suppressing any troubled emotions, such as depression or anxiety, can induce illness. They have determined that biological variations and several maternal factors could perhaps be capable of causing disease, as well (Spector, 2013, p. 333). Biological variations occur within each culture that may or may not predispose its’ members to specific illnesses. With reference to Italian-Americans, genetics may put them at a significantly higher risk for developing certain anemia disorders, such as favism and thalassemia. Favism is a type of hemolytic anemia that is commonly diagnosed among the culture. It is an X-linked genetic disorder that typically results in insufficient levels of the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme. The irregular destruction of red blood cells is triggered by consumption of fava beans when the enzyme is unavailable (Dayer-Berenson, 2011, p. 290). Furthermore, Dayer-Berenson (2011) suggests that Italians are more susceptible to having either alpha or beta thalassemia syndrome in which there is a “reduced or flawed production of hemoglobin,” an essential element for formation of red blood cells (p. …show more content…
186). Therefore, an ill Italian may fail to visit their health care provider if they suspect that their sickness has originated from the evil eye, curses, or contaminated air. This, in turn, could quite possibly lead to attempts of alternative curative methods and/or progression and worsening of illness. Moreover, Italian-Americans may lack the motivation to take any recommended preventative measures and precautions due to their perception of past and present time. Failure to obey preventative health care can cause development or exacerbation of symptoms in the Italian hereditary diseases, favism and thalassemia. Finally, in consideration of Italian norms, exposure to disease-causing microorganisms is more likely to be prevalent in the absence of personal