A multicultural perspective of cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular disease constitutes an emerging public health problem in most countries, even though morbidity and mortality profiles vary according to inherent risk factors. Urbanization and adoption of Western life style appear to predispose populations of all countries to greater risks for coronary heart disease and related conditions. The cultural composition of the United States is rapidly changing due to immigration. This growing ethnic diversity has placed new demands on the health care system for providing culturally sensitive care. In the United States, no ethnic group appears to be immune to cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular risk factors of major American ethnic populations are discussed, and cultural beliefs that stress implications for nursing care of multicultural patients are introduced.