Nursing care of Arab children: consideration of cultural factors

As the number of Arabs living in the United States increases, so does the number of children of Arab descent seeking medical attention. However, despite the sizable and ever increasing number of American Arabs, their health beliefs and practices remain relatively unexplored. When cultural differences exist with regard to beliefs about health and illness, health practices, and health-seeking behavior, the process of health-related interaction becomes difficult and often detrimental to health outcomes. Among Arab immigrants, their children tend to be the least visible population. This article describes the beliefs and practices, both cultural and health-related, of Arab families, with an emphasis on child care and rearing. Nursing considerations, which take these cultural factors into account, are discussed that will accommodate the needs of Arab children receiving professional Western medical treatment.