Abstract
People of Guatemalan heritage comprise a growing number of Hispanic/Latino populations, primarily in the United States (US). Little is known about their migration to other countries. While Guatemalans may share a common Spanish language with other Hispanic ethnic groups, they are, nonetheless, a unique cultural group with multiple dialects. Health care providers must be knowledgeable regarding distinct Hispanic cultural characteristics to provide culturally competent and congruent care for patients of Guatemalan heritage. This chapter follows the 12 domains of the Purnell Model of Cultural Competence: overview/heritage, communication, family roles and organization, workforce issues, biocultural ecology, high-risk behaviors, nutrition, pregnancy, death rituals, spirituality, health-care practices, and health-care practitioners.
This chapter is an update written by Tina Ellis and Larry Purnell in a previous edition of the textbook.
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Ellis, T.A., Purnell, L.D. (2021). People of Guatemalan Heritage. In: Purnell, L., Fenkl, E. (eds) Textbook for Transcultural Health Care: A Population Approach. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51399-3_17
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