The Amish Health Culture and Culturally Sensitive Health Services: An Exhaustive Narrative Review.
Social Science & Medicine
Anderson, Cory, and Lindsey Potts. 2020.
265:113466.
Physical Health Conditions of the Amish and Intervening Social Mechanisms: An Exhaustive Narrative Review.
Ethnicity & Health
Anderson, Cory, and Lindsey Potts. 2022.
27(8):1952-78.
Research Points
- Comprehensive review of 126 studies on Amish physical health conditions and social mechanisms impacting health
- Synthesized research on 14 topics: BMI/activity, diet, cancer, cardiovascular, communicable diseases, immunity, sleep, genetic disorders, tobacco/alcohol use, periodontal conditions, injuries, burns, fertility, STDs
- BMI/Activity:
● Amish have lower obesity rates, more physical activity but body image still predicted by BMI
● Physical activity linked to occupations and transportation - Diet:
● Amish diet high in homegrown foods but also fat; supplement use is common
● Emphasize nutrition but diet does not always match; changes over time need study - Cancer:
● Generally lower cancer rates, but higher for some types like breast cancer
● Lifestyle factors like low smoking rates may contribute to lower cancer risk - Cardiovascular:
● Mixed evidence on CVD rates compared to non-Amish
● Possible genetic factors but lifestyle like activity also relevant - Communicable Diseases:
● Vaccination rates lower than non-Amish but uptake varies
● Disease outbreaks disproportionality affect Amish when immunization is low - Immunity:
● Farm life may bolster immunity through animal exposure
● Specific effects seen for asthma risk and gut microbiome - Sleep:
● Wake early, sleep durations shorter than non-Amish, affected by season, age, and heritability - Genetic Disorders:
● Many rare disorders due to founder effect and endogamy
● Well-studied with searchable databases created - Tobacco/Alcohol Use:
● Low tobacco use overall but higher among some affiliations
● Very low alcohol use; higher among adolescents - Periodontal Disease:
● Unexpectedly low rates given poor dental care
● Possibly diet offers some protection - Injuries:
● Most common injuries reflect lifestyle: animals, falls, buggies
● Age and gender patterns exist in injury data - Burns:
● Child scalds common
● Burdock leaf therapy used, with mixed evidence of effectiveness - Fertility:
● Very high birth rates, shorter birth spacing than non-Amish
● Some better outcomes like lower preterm births - STDs:
● Expected to be low due to marital fidelity norms but minimal research exists
- Identifies gaps in knowledge on social mechanisms of health outcomes, overlooked variables (e.g. education, class, discrimination), methodological limitations of cross-sectional self-reported data, and best policies
- Improves Amish serving healthcare provider awareness of population salient genetic disorders, lifestyle practices potentially impacting health, and particular health needs such as injuries, cancer, and infectious disease
Access Related Content from This Project: The Amish Population Health Review Series
The Cultural and Religious Complexities of Amish-Focused Mental Health Conditions Research: Insights from an Exhaustive Narrative Review and Case Study of Counseling Controversies.
Mental Health, Religion & Culture.
Anderson, Cory, and Lindsey Potts.
Research Trends in Amish Population Health, a Growing Literature about a Growing Rural Population.
Journal of Rural Social Science
Anderson, Cory, and Lindsey Potts. 2021.
36(1):Article 6.
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