Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative Review

(1) Background: This article addresses the harmful traditional practice of breast ironing, which primarily affects girls and adolescents in several countries, particularly in Cameroon. The practice involves applying heat and pressure to developing breasts to delay their growth, with the goal of prot...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rosa M. Cárdaba-García, Veronica Velasco-Gonzalez, Inés Cárdaba-García, Lucía Pérez-Pérez, Carlos Durantez-Fernández, Alba Muñoz-del Caz, Raúl Soto-Cámara, Marta Evelia Aparicio-García, Miguel Madrigal, Inmaculada Pérez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Nursing Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/14/4/269
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846103390726127616
author Rosa M. Cárdaba-García
Veronica Velasco-Gonzalez
Inés Cárdaba-García
Lucía Pérez-Pérez
Carlos Durantez-Fernández
Alba Muñoz-del Caz
Raúl Soto-Cámara
Marta Evelia Aparicio-García
Miguel Madrigal
Inmaculada Pérez
author_facet Rosa M. Cárdaba-García
Veronica Velasco-Gonzalez
Inés Cárdaba-García
Lucía Pérez-Pérez
Carlos Durantez-Fernández
Alba Muñoz-del Caz
Raúl Soto-Cámara
Marta Evelia Aparicio-García
Miguel Madrigal
Inmaculada Pérez
author_sort Rosa M. Cárdaba-García
collection DOAJ
description (1) Background: This article addresses the harmful traditional practice of breast ironing, which primarily affects girls and adolescents in several countries, particularly in Cameroon. The practice involves applying heat and pressure to developing breasts to delay their growth, with the goal of protecting girls from sexual abuse, early pregnancy, and forced marriages. While culturally accepted, breast ironing has severe physical, psychological, and social consequences, including damage to mammary glands, pain, infections, and potential long-term health complications. (2) Methods: A reflective analysis of the topic was conducted through a comprehensive search of various databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and CINAHL) following narrative review methodology. (3) Results: The practice is also examined through the lens of human rights and Madeleine Leininger’s transcultural nursing theory, which promotes respect for cultural traditions in healthcare. However, the authors question whether such a theory can justify practices that violate women’s physical integrity. (4) Conclusions: This study concludes that while cultural beliefs must be considered in healthcare, human rights and the elimination of violent practices, such as breast ironing, must take precedence. Educational campaigns and a more punitive approach in countries where this practice occurs are proposed as essential steps forward.
format Article
id doaj-art-d15d4fdb7e7c4fc98e77b9d31593574b
institution Kabale University
issn 2039-439X
2039-4403
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Nursing Reports
spelling doaj-art-d15d4fdb7e7c4fc98e77b9d31593574b2024-12-27T14:44:18ZengMDPI AGNursing Reports2039-439X2039-44032024-11-011443677368810.3390/nursrep14040269Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative ReviewRosa M. Cárdaba-García0Veronica Velasco-Gonzalez1Inés Cárdaba-García2Lucía Pérez-Pérez3Carlos Durantez-Fernández4Alba Muñoz-del Caz5Raúl Soto-Cámara6Marta Evelia Aparicio-García7Miguel Madrigal8Inmaculada Pérez9Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, SpainPrimary Care Management Segovia (SACYL), C. Santo Tomás, 9, 40002 Segovia, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, SpainDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Burgos, C. Comendadores, s/n, 09001 Burgos, SpainInstituto de Estudios Feministas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C. Isaac Peral, s/n, 28015 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, SpainDepartment of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005 Valladolid, Spain(1) Background: This article addresses the harmful traditional practice of breast ironing, which primarily affects girls and adolescents in several countries, particularly in Cameroon. The practice involves applying heat and pressure to developing breasts to delay their growth, with the goal of protecting girls from sexual abuse, early pregnancy, and forced marriages. While culturally accepted, breast ironing has severe physical, psychological, and social consequences, including damage to mammary glands, pain, infections, and potential long-term health complications. (2) Methods: A reflective analysis of the topic was conducted through a comprehensive search of various databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and CINAHL) following narrative review methodology. (3) Results: The practice is also examined through the lens of human rights and Madeleine Leininger’s transcultural nursing theory, which promotes respect for cultural traditions in healthcare. However, the authors question whether such a theory can justify practices that violate women’s physical integrity. (4) Conclusions: This study concludes that while cultural beliefs must be considered in healthcare, human rights and the elimination of violent practices, such as breast ironing, must take precedence. Educational campaigns and a more punitive approach in countries where this practice occurs are proposed as essential steps forward.https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/14/4/269breast ironingcultural practiceshuman rightstranscultural diseaseviolence against women
spellingShingle Rosa M. Cárdaba-García
Veronica Velasco-Gonzalez
Inés Cárdaba-García
Lucía Pérez-Pérez
Carlos Durantez-Fernández
Alba Muñoz-del Caz
Raúl Soto-Cámara
Marta Evelia Aparicio-García
Miguel Madrigal
Inmaculada Pérez
Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative Review
Nursing Reports
breast ironing
cultural practices
human rights
transcultural disease
violence against women
title Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative Review
title_full Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative Review
title_fullStr Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative Review
title_full_unstemmed Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative Review
title_short Breast Ironing from the Perspective of Transcultural Nursing by Madeleine Leininger: A Narrative Review
title_sort breast ironing from the perspective of transcultural nursing by madeleine leininger a narrative review
topic breast ironing
cultural practices
human rights
transcultural disease
violence against women
url https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/14/4/269
work_keys_str_mv AT rosamcardabagarcia breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT veronicavelascogonzalez breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT inescardabagarcia breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT luciaperezperez breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT carlosdurantezfernandez breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT albamunozdelcaz breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT raulsotocamara breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT martaeveliaapariciogarcia breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT miguelmadrigal breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview
AT inmaculadaperez breastironingfromtheperspectiveoftransculturalnursingbymadeleineleiningeranarrativereview