An Arab woman arrives in the emergency department reporting vaginal bl

An Arab woman arrives in the emergency department reporting vaginal bleeding. It is determined that the client is 5 months pregnant with her second child and has had no prenatal care.

The nurse realizes that the most likely reason for this lack of health care is that the client:
1. Cannot afford to seek health care
2. Views pregnancy as a normal life event
3. Typically relies on same-culture healers
4. Lacks an understanding of available services

ANSWER

ANS: 2
Culture is the context in which groups of people interpret and define their experiences relevant to life transitions. This includes events such as birth, illness, and dying. It is the system of meanings by which people make sense of their experiences. Culture is how others define social phenomena such as when a person is healthy or requires intervention. Traditionally, in Arab culture, pregnan-cy is not a medical condition but rather a normal life transition; hence, a pregnant woman does not always go to a doctor unless she has a problem. While the other options may have been a factor, the most likely cause is that the Arab culture views pregnancy as a normal life event and care is sought only when a perceived problem exists.