Health meanings of Saudi women

Limited information exists concerning the health meanings of Saudi women. The purposes of this study were to describe the meanings of health among a sample of 58 young Saudi women and to compare findings with other published reports of non-Saudi women. Responses to the question 'what does being healthy mean to you?' resulted in nine health categories. Findings indicated that practising healthy ways, performance of roles, and harmony in life were more strongly emphasized than health categories of being productive, adaptation, and physical fitness. Compared to western women, Saudi women did not report health meanings that could be categorized as body image, cognitive function, social involvement or positive self-concept. Study findings should challenge nursing practitioners, educators and students to reconsider assumptions underlying nursing interventions and to broaden their perspective of health that embraces cultural plurality in Saudi Arabia.