Kontakt 2007, 9(2):221-229 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2007.035

Aspects of life style of Vietnamese and Chinese minoritiesNursing

Valérie Tóthová^1,*, Gabriela Sedláková¹, Miloš Velemínský sr.², Lenka Šedová¹, Helena Bubníková¹

¹ Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra ošetřovatelství

² Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích, Zdravotně sociální fakulta, katedra klinických oborů

The life style can be considered as a form of the manifestation of the life of individuals, groups and communities. This form is associated with particular conditions of cultural habits and traditions, work, social life, education, approach to free time activities, etc. Problems of food and nutritional habits and furthermore movement activity, resistance to the stress and use of tobacco products are most frequently considered as parts of the life style. These are factors directly associated with the life style and they exert effects on the origination of civilization diseases. This problem is of a great importance in terms of the prevention of these diseases. A part of an extensive research financed by the Internal Grant Agency of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic was also aimed at specific features of the life style in the Vietnamese and Chinese minorities living in the Czech Republic. The research project is being implemented in 2005 to 2007.
One of targets of the research was mapping of particular aspects of the life style of our fellow citizens from Vietnamese and Chinese minorities from the standpoint of their cultural differences.
Three questionnaires were arranged for the data accumulation, which were translated into Vietnamese and Chinese languages. The subjects were supposed to react to particular items in the questionnaires by expressing the measure of their agreement or disagreement. The Likert scale with the five-grade type of the expression was used in the questionnaire. The examination with the use of the questionnaires included 4710 subjects from the Vietnamese minority and 1427 subjects from the Chinese minority.
In the questionnaire, the subjects presented their expressions concerning particular items about taking care of their health and adhering to the healthy life style - daily regimen, sleeping and resting, principles of reasonable nutrition, movement activity and smoking. The contribution presents results of considering the four fields of interest as follows: nutrition, use of tobacco products, maintaining of optimum body mass and movement activity of the subjects.
In this extensive examination it was demonstrated that members of Vietnamese and Chinese minorities take care of their health, adhere to the proper life style, are interested in their nutrition, maintain the optimum mass of their bodies and perform sufficient movement activities. High numbers of subjects regularly using tobacco products are alarming.

Keywords: Life style; health; minority; Vietnamese people; Chinese people; multicultural nursing

Received: October 15, 2007; Accepted: November 5, 2007; Published: December 21, 2007  Show citation