Somali Clinical Topics

Clinical topics related to Somali culture.

Responding to a Request: Gender-Exclusive Swims in a Somali Community

Article highlighted as 'Local Acts' in the January–February 2010, installment of Public Health Reports, the official journal of the U.S. Public Health Service. The article describes a creative intervention to improve physical activity among Somali immigrants in Seattle, Washington. Moore et al. describe how they designed a culturally sensitive intervention to foster swimming as a form of physical activity in this community by enhancing access to public pools and creating a social support network around the swim events.

Breast Feeding Support for Somali Mothers - PDF

A powerpoint slide show saved as PDF (22 slides), produced by practitioners at Harborview Medical Center/University of Washington, 2007; about infant overfeeding in immigrant families, with focus on Somali families. Considers factors leading to overfeeding, guidance for prenatal and postpartum education, and information about Somali cultural experience.

Clinical Pearl: Circular Burn Scarring on Asian and African Patients

A short clinical pearl about patterned circular scars on the skin of Asian and African patients.

Clinical Pearl: Report on Somali Diet

A clinical pearl abstract about information collected from Somali nutrition education groups about the Somali diet.

Clinical Pearl: Uvulectomy

A short clinical pearl on a tradition surgery, uvulectomy, performed in some African and middle eastern countries.

Clinical Pearl: Dysuria Symptoms in Somali girls and women

A short clinical pearl about dysuria in Somali females who have had ritual genital surgery.

Clinical Pearl: Skin Decorations in East African Patients

A short clinical pearl about the use of henna as skin decoration.

Diabetes in the Somali Community: Cultural Information and Recommendations for Diabetes Educators

Information for diabetes educators about diabetes in the Somali refugee community, featuring information about religion, traditional diet and cultural beliefs, recommendations for providers and links to patient education resources.

Failure to Thrive and Oral Aversion in Immigrant Infants and Toddlers

Summary report of a quality improvement project carried out to determine if there were common patterns found in the history and presentation of non-organic failure to thrive among Somali infants and if underlying cultural factors might be influencing this condition.

Flu Vaccine and LEP Patients

Links to websites with translated materials; talking points for providers speaking with patients who are reluctant to vaccinate; and summarized findings from focus groups Public Health-Seattle & King County held with local Somali community leaders to learn about their attitudes, beliefs and practices regarding vaccination.

Food and fasting in Somali Culture

Information about typical Somali foods and fasting traditions, influenced by Sunni Muslim practice.

Group Nutrition Education Poster

A 1 page poster PDF summarizing a WIC group nutrition project for Spanish and Somali families.

Hyperlipidemia: Diet, Education, and Health Promotion for the Somali Refugee Population

Conversations with providers in Seattle revealed a high incidence of elevated cholesterol among their Somali patients. This article provides information related to Somali culture and hyperlipidemia including topics like epidemiology/observations; translation or language equivalents; dietary practices and food preparation; along with tools & suggestions for providers, and patient education resources available in the Somali Language.

Medical Examiner Dialogue - Somali

Information about the cultural and religious norms associated with death and dying among Somalis.

Muslim Religious Observances and Diabetes

Information about fasting practices, and recommendations for providers caring for diabetic patients during times of fasting. Includes recommendations related to medication management.

Oral Health Beliefs, Traditions and Practices in the Somali Culture

Information about cultural practices and health beliefs impact the oral care of Somalis, and practical implications for providers.

Perinatal Profile for Patients from Somalia

Information to help providers become familiar with the cultural values and historical experiences of women from Somalia and their families, as it pertains to obstetrical outcomes and providing culturally appropriate care.

Peripartum and Infant Care Issues and Practices among Refugee Groups in Seattle

Some traditional practices around pregnancy and infant care in Southeast Asian and East African groups in Seattle.

Report on Somali Diet

Information about common dietary beliefs and practices of Somali participants in WIC nutrition education.

Report on Somali Diet

PDF format of "Report on Somali Diet"

Somali Asthma Cultural Profile

Information about Somali perspectives on Asthma.

Somali Depression Profile

Article about Somali culture, relating to mental health, depression.

Somali Hepatitis Cultural Profile

A brief overview of some cultural understandings of hepatitis.

Somali Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Study: Infant and Young Child Feeding and Health Seeking Practices

PDF (102 pages) Report of a study conducted to enhance understanding of the contribution of poor child care practices to malnutrition (both acute and chronic) and subsequently to provide key recommendations for simple and effective responses.

Somali Mental Health

The challenges facing Somali immigrants and refugees in the Twin Cities are complex and their needs are great. Besides facing enormous cultural and language differences, African immigrants and refugees contend with racism, often have limited literacy skills, and hold jobs where they barely earn minimum wage and have difficulty providing for their families. (Originally Published in Bildhaan – An International Journal of Somali Studies; 2004; reprinted ...

Somali Refugee Mental Health Cultural Profile

Information about depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the Somali refugee community; information about common beliefs and traditional treatment for mental illness in Somalia, and advice for healthcare providers working with this refugee population.

Somali Tuberculosis Cultural Profile

Information describing beliefs and practices relating to tuberculosis among Somali immigrants.

“My baby refuses to eat!”: Overfeeding of Somali Infants

Article describing a pattern of overfeeding Somali infants leading to conditions such as refusal to eat, oral aversion, failure to thrive; includes recommendations for clinically effective intervention and prevention.