THE HEALTH BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF THE AMISH

Abstract

The Amish are a large religious and cultural group with roots in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. Smaller communities of Amish can be found throughout 27 states, including Wisconsin. The population of Amish continues to grow due to large families. In depth research has been completed in regards to the Amish culture in the largely populated areas of the country, but there is a lack of information about the health beliefs and practices of the Amish, specifically in Wisconsin. Additionally, very few qualitative studies have been completed about the Amish. Studying the Amish culture is part of providing culturally competent care. Understanding their beliefs and practices will allow healthcare providers to give the best possible care, and increase the likelihood of trusting relationship with the provider. Creating an agreed upon plan of care will not only increase patient satisfaction, but also increase compliance. The purpose of this study is to explore the health beliefs and practices of the Old Order Amish from a rural area of Wisconsin. The theoretical framework for the study is Leininger's Cultural Care Diversity and Universality theory (Leininger & McFarland, 2002). This model discusses the cultural variables that impact a person's being and the culturally competent care provided by a healthcare system. The research question is as follows: What are the health beliefs and practices of the Amish? The study was conducted via personal interviews with Amish adult men and women. A purposeful sampling technique was used. The names of the participants were selected from the directories of the church districts within the settlement. The sample size was ten participants. The participants were asked open ended questions regarding their beliefs related to health. Responses were further explored with probe questions. Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis was used to interpret the data collected (Speziale & Carpenter, 2007).