The meaning of health: Perspectives of Anglo and Latino older women. Health Care for Women

This qualitative study, utilizing the dimensional analysis approach, was conducted to generate a substantive theory about the description and meaning of functional health from the perspectives of older An-glo and Latino women. Through focus group interviews with older Anglo and Latino women and data analysis, the investigators learned that the women’s perceptions of functional health were vastly dif-ferent. As planners and providers, we usually are trained in a health culture that is predominantly based on White, middle-class values. This ethnocentrism can act as a barrier leading us to disregard the notion that concepts such as health are not universally perceived. Findings from this study may enable us to achieve a closer approx-imation of the real experiences of our clients and to sensitize us to different world views. This article presents the qualitative findings of a large two-part study conducted by Professor Betty Gale, who served as principal investigator (Gale, 1998). The study was designed to describe sociocultural influence