The notion of biocultural variation allows embracing the concept of sociocultural correlates as the factors that affect the development of disorders and other health issues in patients. According to the definition provided by Jensen et al., biocultural variation is the variance in the sociocultural behavior learned in the process of living within a specific community. Therefore, scrutinizing the phenomenon of biocultural variations in laboratory tests is essential to increase the accuracy and veracity of the latter. In laboratory tests, the assessment of biocultural variations as the possible source of biases is needed.
In common laboratory tests, the presence of biocultural variation defines the accuracy of the analysis results. For instance, differences in the socio-cultural factors affecting a patient’s lifestyle and health status will define the parameters, such as the levels of hemoglobin, cholesterol, and blood glucose. Thus, by determining the biocultural factors that may have shaped a patient’s health assessment results, a nurse will be able to locate and address the emerging health issue in a timely fashion.