137 - Blog (Iraqi Culture) by Sienna-Marie Marshall

Domain 1: Clinical Expert

siennamxrie — 2025-08-26 06:30:04 UTC

For me, the most important aspect of competency standard 1.1 was the recognition of how beliefs surrounding culture, linguistics, religion and spiritual, can easily shape outcomes and health related experiences. This understanding will be essential in my future practice when I care for patients who may be uncertain to accept specific treatments due to deeply held beliefs. By increasing my experience in these situations, I will recognise the importance of adapting communication to become not only medically competent but also culturally respectful, allowing me to provide my best person-centred and safe care. An example could include involving same-gendered staff for personal care. Because I have not yet experience cutrually different patient interactions, I will need to continue building my knowledge of how I can best support patients of a diverse range of cultures, by seeking guidance from cultural liaison staff and asking patients open-ended questions about what their preferences are without making assumptions, and asking for their feedback so I can improve in future interactions.

Migrant & Refugee Women’s Health Partnership. (2019). Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds: Competency Standards Framework for Clinicians January 2019. https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf

Social Determinants: Social Inclusion and Non-Discrimination

siennamxrie — 2025-08-27 05:30:34 UTC

The World Health Organisation recognises social inclusion and non-discrimination to be a vital social determinant of health (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024). Refugees are at risk for poor mental health due to experiences of discrimination in the country they resettle in, and can exacerbate their health and wellbeing outcomes in a negative way (Ziersch et al., 2020). Research suggests refugees face discrimination in a range of areas such as housing, education, and access to health care, likely resulting in health consequences (Ziersch et al., 2020). This discrimination affects refugees from Iraq, with an increase after 9/11 (Kira et al., 2010). It’s important for refugees to participate in community activities, along with neighbourly interactions, as this constantly predicts better health and well-being while resettling in Australia (Song et al., 2025). This highlights the significance in designing programs that promotes neighbourly connections during resettlement and motivates active participation in communities of the same ethnicities to support the health and well being of refugees (Song et al., 2025) from Iraq.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Social determinants of health. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australians-health/social-determinants-of-health

Kira, I. A., Lewandowki, L., Templin, T., Ramaswamy, V., Ozkan, B., & Mohanesh, J. (2010). The Effects of Perceived Discrimination and Backlash on Iraqi Refugees’ Mental and Physical Health. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 5(1), 59–81. https.//doi.org/10.1080/15564901003622110

Song, J., Corcoran, J., & Zahnow, R. (2025). Understanding the impact of social connectedness on health and well-being among refugees in Australia. Journal of Refugee Studies. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/feaf036

Ziersch, A., Due, C., & Walsh, M. (2020). Discrimination: a Health Hazard for People from Refugee and asylum-seeking Backgrounds Resettled in Australia. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-8068-3

Common Health Issue faced by Iraqi Refugees

siennamxrie — 2025-08-31 17:17:43 UTC

Iraq is a country located in the southwestern region of Asia, called the Middle East. (Woods et al., 2025) Since 2014, Iraq has experienced a refugee crisis, a result of ongoing conflict and violence escalation, surging after the Islamic State launched attacks in the northern parts of Iraq, forcing millions of Iraqi families to flee their homes (UNHCR, 2019). Violence and conflict are major contributors to the food crisis and intensifies when it drives many people to abandon their homes and jobs (World Food Programme, 2020). Among refugees, food insecurity frequently leads to inadequate nutrition, increasing the likelihood of iron deficiencies and anaemia (Chaves & Paxton, n.d.), described as low levels of iron/haemaglobin in the blood. This can be diagnosed by offering an FBE and screening for iron deficiencies (Chaves & Paxton, n.d.). According to the Australian refugee health practice guide, if the refugee has tested positive for iron deficiency anaemia, the first step is to educate the family about iron-rich diets while also offering oral iron supplements. If they have a B12 deficiency, you can offer an oral supplement or an intramuscular injection (Chaves & Paxton, n.d.).

Asylum Seekers Centre. (2022, June 16). Get the facts: How many refugees make Australia their home each year? Asylum Seekers Centre. https://asylumseekerscentre.org.au/australia-refugee-intake/

Chaves, N., & Paxton, G. (2025.). Anaemia, Iron Deficiency, and Other Blood Conditions. Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/anaemia-iron-deficiency-and-other-blood-conditions/

UNHCR. (2019, November 7). Iraq Refugee Crisis Explained. Www.unrefugees.org. https://www.unrefugees.org/news/iraq-refugee-crisis-explained/

Woods, E. J., Blake, H. G., Kennedy, H., Khadduri, M., & Chambers, R. L. (2025, August 29). Iraq. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Iraq

World Food Programme. (2020, November 18). Hunger, Conflict, and Improving the Prospects of Peace. https://www.wfp.org/publications/hunger-conflict-and-improving-prospects-peace-fact-sheet-2020

Iraqi Health Belief and Traditional Medicine

siennamxrie — 2025-08-31 17:23:47 UTC

People from both rural and urban areas of Iraq rely heavily on the tradition of herbal medicine to treat a diverse range of illnesses by using medicinal plants (Al-Douri, 2014). Traditional herbal medicine is rooted into their culture and biodiversity. It was found that 90 different species of plants across 39 families were used to treat illnesses. Majority of remedies were made into infusions out of above-ground plants (Ahmed,2016). Herbalists apply their extensive ethnobotanical knowledge to prepare the herbal treatments (Gupta et al., 2014). They had a significance in treating endocrine, metabolic, and nutritional conditions, which demonstrated how fundamental these practices were to their daily health routines (Ahmed, 2016). For example, chamomile has been found to have many benefits, like supporting the immune system, treating sore throats, and promoting the health of the digestive system (Alabbody, 2022). Iraqi refugees are generally open to Western Medicine, however, some conservative muslims view preventive healthcare as conflicting with their belief in God’s will (Huang, 2011). They also can face barriers when accessing healthcare and often resort to what is familiar (Au et al., 2019)

Ahmed, H. M., (2016, January 28) Ethnopharmacobotanical study on the medicinal plangts used by herbalists in Sulaymaniyah Province, Kurdistan, Iraq. Journal of Ethnobiology and Endomedicine, 12(1). https://doi.org/10/1186/s13002-016-0081-3

Alabbody, K. H. H., (2022). Herbal Medicine in Iraq Advantage and Disadvantage: A Scientific Review. NeuroQuantology, 20(4), 46-51. doi: 10.14704/nq.2022.20.4.NQ22093

Al-Douri, A. N., (2011, January 11). SOME IMPORTANT MEDICINAL PLANTS IN IRAQ. ASJ International Journal of Advances in Herbal and Alternative Medicine, 2(1), 10-20. https://www.academiascholarlyjournal.org/ijaham/publications/aug14/Nedhal_A_Al_Douri.pdf

Au, M., Anandakumar, A. D., Preston, R., Ray, R. A., & Davis, M. (2019). A Model Explaining Refugee Experiences of the Australian Healthcare system: a Systematic Review of Refugee Perceptions. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 19(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-019-0206-6

Gupta, P., Sharma, V. K., & Sharma, S. (2014). Traditional Herbalists. SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science, 83-120. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1925-5_5

Huang, J. (2011, March) Traditional Medicine of Karen, Nepali, and Iraqi Refugees. https://med.virginia.edu/family-medicine/wp-content/uploads/sites/285/2017/01/Joseph-Huang-Traditional-Medicine-Karen-Nepali-Iraqi_Web.pdf