The Amish community originated in Europe and some of them migrated to USA. The term Amish used for the members of faith community rather than an ethnic designation. Though others can join Amish community by accepting their belief and values, it happens very rarely. The Amish are very exclusive and they believe that God has called them to lead a simple life of belief, obedience, humility and dedication. They consider that their religious faith is for practice and not for displaying. They apply their faith into daily living instead of focusing on tangible signs or intricate rituals. They are known for their simple living and unwillingness to accept modern amenities. The Amish give very importance to rural life, peace, humility, church, family relation and hard work. The Amish of Lancaster County concentrates their life on service, first to God, then to their family and the entire Amish community. In order to maintain their values, they stay away from convenience of latest technologies, such as TV, motor vehicles, or personal ornamentation. Nevertheless, they use motor vehicles for business purposes, not for personal use. In Lancaster County, there are above 25 different Amish, Brethren and Mennonite church groups, which are little different in traditions and understanding of the Bible. An individual becomes as Amish church member through baptism, normally between the ages of 16 and 25. It is a prerequisite for wedding, and once an individual becomes church member, he or she may only get married within the faith. In a church district, there will be around 20 to 40 families, and they meet every other Sunday for worship services in a member's house. The church rules, known as the Ordnung, must be followed by every member. The ordnung cover aspects of daily living, and include prohibitions/conditions for the use latest technology features, as well as rules clothing. They wear plain clothing without any ornamentation to avoid attraction to the wearer and feelings of pride. All items of clothing for both Amish men and women, children and adults alike, are utilitarian and conservative. Amish dress is always in keeping with their commitment to simplicity. They never cut their hair and wear in a roll on the back of the head. They wear a black prayer covering on their head if they are unmarried and white if they are married. Amish women do not use jewelry. Amish men do not keep mustaches, but married men grow beards.
Many Amish church members do not purchase insurance or accept social security or other assistance from government. Father is the head of the family and he decides if medical treatment is necessary for a family member. Although birth control and abortion are illegal as per church rule, some women use birth control practices. Amish people believe that immunizations will not prevent illness. In addition to modern medical treatment, they use folk remedies. Amish church members will not do any military service as they practice nonresistance as per their anabaptist faith. The Amish are generally private people and often find all the attention and curiosity about their lifestyle disturbing. They believe that the taking of photographs where someone is recognizable is forbidden by the Biblical prohibition against making any 'graven image'. Beliefs and values like obedience to parents, respect for authority, group responsibility, and personal humbleness are the key factors binding the Amish people in their culture (theamish village.net)
Health Perception/Management
Health care practices of amish are influenced by many sociao-cultural factors. There beliefs and values are also connected to the health care practices in the community and family. Adams and Leverland (1986) affirm that in Amish point of view a healthy person is "one who has a good appetite, looks physically well and finds satisfaction in a good day's work" (instituteofmidwifery.org). Sickness is viewed as inability to perform in the work role. Many Amish believe that their sins are the cause for their sufferings, illness and death. Therefore, they believe that immunization will not prevent illness.
In the Amish family, it is the father who decides when medical treatment is needed. Nevertheless, families differ in their attitude about preventative care and health practices. Several Amish do not understand the importance of immunization against the diseases that are beyond their knowledge or experience. They will do what is required when outbreaks occur, but they think taking immunization against all types of diseases is too much dependence on worldly knowledge. Although vaccination is not forbidden by any rule, most Amish children are not vaccinated against disease like tetanus, polio, diphtheria, mumps or measles. As parents are reluctant to give vaccination, they will submit waivers instead of immunization certificates for kids starting school. The Amish are exempted from contributing into the Social Security system. They also do not purchase health insurance. Because of this, in times of sickness they need to pay all expenses related to their medical treatment, and they can not receive benefits from Social Security. Families pay for their medical expenses in cash or goods from the farm. Communities develop their own insurance fund by each family giving an initial amount and contributing again as required. Amish woman in Lancaster County gives birth to an average of 7 kids, with 10 or 11 live births being not rare. Contraception and abortion are prohibited by church rules. However, some Amish women use natural family planning, diaphragms, and on some rare occasions Depo Provera as forms of birth control (instituteofmidwifery.org).
The Amish do not refuse contemporary medical treatments but will use folk therapies along with physician/midwifery care. A wide-ranging folk health care system exists within their culture. Amish use a variety of care givers, including reflexologists, chiropractors, midwives, herbalists, and brauche or pow-wow practitioners. Brauche is a practice of physical manipulation like therapeutic touch in which the individual with the gift of healing keeps his or her hands near the client's head or stomach to draw sickness from client's body. Pow-wowing is an old-world brand of faith healing in which charms, words and physical maneuver are used to heal both man and beast (instituteofmidwifery.org).
Annually, Susquehanna Health System of Williamsport, Pa., partners with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to give a day of health screenings for the Amish community in Lancaster county. A mobile unit travels with staff and supplies to an Amish home for the event. Once in a year, free medical screening services are offered to all members in their community by Pennsylvania Department of Health. include blood pressure checks, blood glucose, blood cholesterol, hemoccult, vaccinations (Td, Tdap, and Pneumovax), peripheral arterial screening, breast exams, hearing screening, dental evaluations, vision evaluations, stroke screening, and diabetes counseling. Blood screening for PSA and TSH are offered for a discounted price. A family practice physician is on site for consultations. The Amish assemble voluntarily for health education and screening. This health screenings gives a beneficial service to this vulnerable community that may not look for usual medical care. The event serves a dual purpose of socialization and screening and is well attended (etown.edu)
Amish death patterns were not analytically lower or higher than those of the non-Amish, but varied by sex, age and cause. Amish males had little higher all-cause death rates as children and notably lower death rates over age 40, mainly due to lesser rates of cancer and heart diseases. Amish female death rates for all causes of death were lesser from age 10 to 39, similar from 40 to 69, and more over age 69. Other major causes of death were also examined. Because the Amish and other farming groups have similar mortality patterns, it is suggested that lifestyle may be the primary determinant of the overall mortality patterns in the Amish (oxfordjournals.org).
Amish populations have more occurrences of specific genetic disorders, including dwarfism (Ellis-van Creveld syndrome), abnormal distribution of blood types and different metabolic disorders. Amish represent a collection of different demes or genetically closed communities. A few of these disorders are uncommon, or exceptional, and a cause for increasing the death rate among Amish children. Most of Amish believe these as God's will. They refuse to do preventive genetic tests before marriage and genetic screening of unborn children to find out any genetic disorders. Amish are ready to take part in research of genetic diseases. The Old Order Amish do not typically carry private commercial health insurance. Approximately two-thirds of the Amish in Lancaster County take part in Church Aid, a casual self-insurance plan for assisting members with disastrous medical expenses (instituteofmidwifery.org).
During 1991, a rubella outbreak occurred among the Amish in Pennsylvania along with Amish in minimum six states. The public health department and CDC identified 89 pregnant Amish women from Lancaster and nearby counties with a rubella-like sickness during pregnancy. Depression cases are very less in Amish women, but their scores on a measure of mental health status is approximately same as other women(cdc.gov).
Nutrition/Metabolic
Since Amish people come from agricultural backgrounds where community grows and makes most of their food themselves, a big budget is not required to eat well. By tradition, Amish food was shaped by the requirements of the time. Amish food is heavy in carbohydrates and fats. This diet is okay for physically working farmers. But, people who lead inactive lifestyle and eat Amish diet are prone to weight and other health problems. Amish women normally engage in better health behaviors and are unlikely to be overweight and seem to have less stress than other women in Central Pennsylvania. Almost everybody drink water from their private well and have comparatively high exposures to chemicals that are used for agriculture. More Amish women diagnosed with anemia and thyroid problems and fewer diagnosed with hypertension and high cholesterol compared to Central Pennsylvania women generally.
Elimination (Environmental Health Concerns)
Federal and state environmental agents and Lancaster County officials are working with farmers to prevent cow dung from draining during rainstorms into a neighborhood stream which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay has been contaminated for years by fertilizers used for agriculture and Federal government is imposing fines on Amish farmers who let manure to reach streams. Lancaster county is a leading source of runoff of the nitrogen and phosphorus that produce dead zones in the bay every summer.
Upon an inspection by environmental officials, it is observed that Amish farmers not only contaminate their own well, but also pollute nearby streams by not applying modern technology in their farming business. Seventeen of the farms checked were not handling their manure properly, EPA inspectors found, contaminating their own wells in many cases as well as polluting nearby streams. Officials advised farmers to take actions to manage their manure better, and offered assistance in applying for government grants towards the cost of storage pits and other practices developed for curbing overflow. Lancaster County is currently a confluence of forces driving farming practice to no-till crop production. The county is a principal player in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts that take shape in environmental legislation, state and federal cost. (usatoday.com).
Farming is a hazardous livelihood and may result in hurting not only the farm workers, but also the families, who are living on farms. Kids who are brought up on a farm are at high risk because the farm is the place where they live and play. Farming is the primary Amish livelihood, and because of their farming techniques differ from other us farms, it is critical that health care givers be aware of the reasons of injuries that may happens on Amish farms. During a period of five month, a total of 89 injuries, including 5 fatalities, were reported. During this period, 64 male children and 25 female children sustained injuries. Most commonly reported cause of injury was due to fall, followed by incidents related to domestic animals. Both types of incidents mostly resulted in an orthopedic injury (pubmed.gov).
Activity/Exercise
The Amish are very hard working, most of the men work in farm land or do carpentry jobs and women spend most time in home taking care of kids, cooking, baking, and preserving foods. They exercise dynamically that include brisk walking, gardening, house cleaning. Amish use horses and buggies as their main ways of transportation. Amish keep their body fit by years of physical work and exercise. Recreation and leisure are casual and related to their jobs. Home made toys are generally provided to kids. Clapping games are a general type of indoor games among teenage girls and hiking is general activity in boys. Hunting is a much loved sport for some men and boys. Amish spent their leisure time by visiting the sick, old aged and relatives.
Weekly auction and household auctions are usual type of activities for many families. Pipe and cigar smoking is the standard practice among Amish but they don't smoke cigarettes. Amish women make beautiful quilts and it is an artistic and enjoyable family and group activity. The children are actively involved in farming process by working with their parents. These farming practices and lifestyle influence the severity and type of injuries that happen to children and parents. In 2006, a magnetic farm-scene hazard-hunt program originally developed by Farm Safety 4 Just Kids was adapted for the Anabaptist population. The program was piloted in five locations. A book containing lesson plans was developed to teach farm safety to the Anabaptist population. Over fifty magnetic images were produced to complement the lesson plans.
Sleep/Rest
Sleep routines and rest seemed to be different according to the individual habits or the family routine, but the environment is very quite during nights with less traffic noise, which enhanced sleeping quality of residents.
http://theamishvillage.net/lancaster-county-amish/
http://www.instituteofmidwifery.org/MSFinalProj.nsf/a9ee58d7a82396768525684f0056be8d/6a4c7bf7456fa5d08525685500125a45?OpenDocument
http://www.padutchcountry.com/towns-and-heritage/amish-country/amish-religious-traditions.asp
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/114/6/845.abstract
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00017145.htm
http://www.etown.edu/YoungCenter.aspx?topic=June+8+Abstracts
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11202114
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2010-02-18-chesapeake-bay-pollution-Amish_N.htm
The Amish Community is very fascinating, but yet very simple . They make sure to practice the Ordnung, which are the laws of the church, in everyday living. They usually work on their familly farm and sell their produce and handmade articles for revenue. The Amish usually finish school at an eigth grade level and either work on the family farm or go to high school to continue their education. Only a few chose to do the latter. Eventhough the Amish chose to refuse any customs of the outside world, they did decide that one form of technology was useful to their community;the telephone. They believed that the telephone was not a completely bad idea because it helped improved their way of conducting business with other communities that were far away. In this project, I will discuss the origins of the Amish community, their craftsmen ship, and their cultural practices.
Where did the Amish come from and what are some of their spiritual practices? According to ReligiousTolerance.org, the Amish originated in Eroupe and their religious practice is based on Anabaptism. When it comes down to farming and woodwork the Amish deserve an A+, but when it comes to fashion they receive a D-. Why? Because the Amish daily attire is very simple. They do not were clothes made by the worlds hottest designers or wear clothes that are filled with colors. They females wear long solid color dresses, and the males wear denium trousers with suspenders everyday. The Amish believe that this is necessary to avoid worrying about worldly things and practices.
Amish people are very skilled craftsmen. They design and handmake everything that they own. Amish women make their own dresses and quilts for their family. According to Chrysta Baker, the quilts that the Amish women design are examples of how they view art in an impractical and useless way in nature that makes a perfect gift for an engaged couple.
Amish women sale these beautiful quilts in gift shops that are setup for the towns tourist. Allowing these qilts, that are filled with geometric designs, to be sold in the town's gift shops are another way for the Amish to avoid mixing with the outside world.
The dresses that Amish women wear are usually long and solid-colored. The most common colors of Amish dreses are blue, black, grey, and burgundy. Along with wearing these long dresses, they wear soft-white caps and aprons. If an Amish woman is made a blue dress for her wedding day, she is expected to wear that same dress every sunday to church.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/amish.htm
