cultural theories of disease causation in nigeria

2022 Apr;13(2):183-191. doi: 10.1007/s12687-021-00543-2. Epub 2021 Nov 26. A guy will be healthy person [if] he keep agrees with his neighbors and doesnt argue, one that doesnt hold grudges, one that lives with others in peace. If God wants you to live healthy, then you live healthy [Female, Study Community # 1]. He died from Parkinson's disease in 2014, aged 85. . Tap here to review the details. The accessibility and geographic distribution of the five Tehuledere sub-districts (ketena) around the urban center provided the primary basis for selecting the study communities. Epub 2022 Jan 25. Thousand Oaks: Sage; 2007. So if there is no peace at home, there will be no health [Female, Study Community # 4]. As predominantly rural Woreda, most inhabitants rely on farming. He is interested in research on actinobacteria, myxobacteria, and natural products. Sections of original transcripts and key quotes considered to be illustrative of the emerging themes were translated into English to facilitate discussion with the full research team as needed, because one of the research team members, HB, was a non-Amharic speakerIndividual codes and themes were discussed at group meetings until consensus was reached on basic themes and subthemes across the focus groups and interviews. Mexican cultural beliefs and breastfeeding: a model for assessment and intervention. He worked as a Lecturer at St. Xaviers College, Maitighar, Kathmandu, Nepal, from Feb 2015 to June 2019. They also articulated the role of natural causes and social relationships in maintaining good health. When Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch discovered and developed what would later be called the germ theory in the 1860s, this was a radical, then revolutionary ideaone so good . 2023 The Biology Notes. 2011; 26 (4):275-278. doi: 10.5001 . Bareilly, UP, India. . This theory led to explanation of several outbreaks of cholera, plague and malaria (Mal-aria= bad air). Ethiop J Health Dev. People in our village sterilize the equipment they use for these purposes. Principal Scientist & Act. Winkelman M. Culture and health: applying medical anthropology. It would seem that any apprehensiveness is likely to have been eased, by the generally friendly and mutually respectful rapport most people have with their respective health extension workers. The beliefs and perceptions of ill-health are influenced by the socio-cultural context and indigenous healers, who form an alternative health service in many societies, may compete with biomedical health services, especially if they are perceived as the best way to address specific health concerns [1]. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. germ theory, in medicine, the theory that certain diseases are caused by the invasion of the body by microorganisms, organisms too small to be seen except through a microscope. Proceedings of the First National Conference on the Revision of National Health Policy. They were very similar to the focus group participants in their demographic characteristics. Reading: Gordon and Breach Science; 1992. Glory Bassey. I saw it happen as a child. Diagnosing diseases in African traditional religion. Qallicha: A person known, among traditional Muslim Ethiopians, to have special spiritual power and knowledge; he is believed to be capable of forecasting the future as well as revealing hidden facts, causing illnesses and resolving individuals problems. Sociobiology Theory of Cultural Analysis. Cultural theories of crime provide distinct frameworks to understand the influence of human agency, social forces, and peers on behavior. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science. Legal status of traditional medicine and complementary/alternative medicine. A world wide review. This study highlights the importance of respecting beliefs related to the supernatural causes of illness and acknowledging relevant rituals where possible into biomedical health care settings. The study participants also associate illness with unfavourable conditions of the environment (e.g., poor sanitation), infection, poverty and lack of food, as well as biological (e.g., aging, genetics) and psychological causes such as stress and worry. Kahissay, M., Fenta, T. & Boon, H. Beliefs and perception of ill-health causation: a socio-cultural qualitative study in rural North-Eastern Ethiopia. Click here to review the details. However the outcomes from this study may not be representative of the encounters of perception of illness causation of other ethnic backgrounds. Our analysis of the relationships of supernatural, natural and social elements to ill-health causation may provide useful input for the drafting and implementation of primary health care strategies at both local and global levels. PubMed Central Witchcraft beliefs in diseases causation and health-seeking behaviour in pregnancy of women in Calabar South-Nigeria . Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan. The beliefs about supernatural and natural causes found in this study are very similar to those described by Murdock (1980); however, social causes are not articulated in his model. Instant access to millions of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, podcasts and more. 1991;630:212-22. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1991.tb19590.x. In the mid-19th . Medicine finally shed the rags of dogma and superstition and put on the robes of scientific knowledge. Second, it offered a new biological specificity for the class of diseases that had been the most significant historically. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help The current Ethiopian indigenous health strategy (the National health strategies with regard to Indigenous Solution reported in March 2015) acknowledges the need to support components of indigenous medication including recommendations to explore potential beneficial aspects [31]. The provision of culturally competent health care is an important professional issue recognized by the pioneer genetic counselors in the Philippines. Bull World Health Organ. I/C Epidemiology; Centre for Animal Disease Research Nurse Educ Today. Like all research, out study has both strengths and limitations. Similarly, a theoretical approach initially used to frame and subsequently to interpret the data from this study allowed for a more thorough explanation of beliefs and perceptions of illness causation. The child becomes stunted due to his inability to have a linear growth. Our study provides an excellent example of why health education and primary health care delivery interventions need to take into account what people actually do and the beliefs that drive their actions. The health extension workers also helped to select 96 participants for 10 focus group discussions and 20 individuals (two from each focus groups) were selected purposively for follow-up individual interviews based on their demonstrated knowledge and ability to describe their experiences in the focus groups. Almost all the focus group participants identified better food production as a contributor to health: We keep healthy when we produce enough food and have work to do. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! Such infections, according to the theory, were not passed between individuals but would affect those within a locale that gave rise to such vapors. According to Hippocrates the theories of disease causation are the 4 humors, blood, phlegm, yellow and black bile. Focus Group Discussions and In-depth Interviews Guide. In addition to their physical inaccessibility, biomedical health services are often unaffordable. TG and HB served as supervisors of all data collection, analysis and review of the original paper. Google Scholar. Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago. Health is primarily that state in which these constituent substances are in the correct proportion to each other, both in strength and quantity, and are well mixed. 36 0 obj <> endobj Bethesda, MD 20894, Web Policies Kassaye KD, Amberbir A, Getachew B, Mussema Y. These small organisms, too small to see without magnification, invade humans, other animals, and other living hosts. New York: Africana Publishing Corporation; 1969. p. XXXXI. Department of Pharmaceutics and Social Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. 1988 Dec;4(4):160-3. doi: 10.1177/089033448800400409. The disease is said to pass onto seven generations. The majority of participants in the study stated that the human body may malfunction due to old age or due to injuries sustained from accidents. Antonitto A. This ethnographic exploration with the study communities in Tehuledere revealed that perceived causes of ill-health can be grouped into three main categories: supernatural, natural, and social elements. Choosing among five traditions. Google Scholar. The outlook regarding disease causation haschanged considerably with time and advancements in science. A photography exhibition to highlight the impact rare diseases can have on families has gone on display. Google Scholar. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. A Seminar Work Presented to the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Calabar. Dime (1995:30-31) argues that the diagnosis of diseases in an African traditional healing system is a twofold event. Fracastoro proposed that contagious diseases are caused by transferable "seed-like entities," which we now call germs. endstream endobj startxref Some of key informants also observed that susceptibility to certain diseases such as epilepsy, infertility and mental illness runs in certain families through generations. For the study communities, a culture of social trust was central to their identity, and they believed this was directly connected to the health of the body. These forces are believed to have unlimited power. Beliefs and perception of ill-health causation: a socio-cultural qualitative study in rural North-Eastern Ethiopia, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4052-y, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. It involves praising and glorifying the sky-god and seeking his spiritual assistance to ward off evil. Named for the village of Nok, site of some of the finds, the ancient culture produced fine terra-cotta figurines, which were accidentally discovered by tin miners on the Jos Plateau in the 1930s. Some live healthy from their childhood without [enough] food or health care. All focus group discussions and interviews were conducted, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim in Amharic. He was able to use existing networks and contacts within the indigenous institutions, including traditional leaders and local health officials, thereby gaining access to a very wide cross-section of people. This dichotomy was a key sensitizing concept that guided the design of this study. Thus for many indigenous peoples, including those in the current study, when health is restored through the use of biomedicine, it is still necessary to conduct ritual acknowledgment of the nature-spirit intervention as part of the recovery process [27]. Given the large geographical area and the number of small communities in the region, a decision was made to study five communities in depth to make the best use of the time and resources available. There are an estimated 100 million malaria cases with over 300,000 deaths per year in Nigeria. For example, Wadaja, a communal prayer ceremony, is a common rite practiced in Tehuluedere. Soc Sci Med. When Western biomedical practitioners overlook, or scorn the supernatural convictions held by group individuals they risk distancing the very individuals they look to treat. Ethnicity pertains to: geographic origins, fam patterns, lang., cultural norms, religion, literature, music, gender roles, etc Racism The belief that some races are superior to others by nature Ethnocentrism The focus groups lasted 1.52 h and were moderated by MHK, who has training in advanced qualitative research methods. Fracastoro's contagion theory of disease (1546) Germ theory: Louis Pasteur , Lister and others introduced the germ theory in 1878. Cite this article. Spirit Mediumship and society in Africa. TWIO. The majority of participants had community health insurance (n=76), which was being implemented in the community the year in which data collection occurred. For long, man was groping in darkness about the causation of disease. Issues identified with administration and bureaucratic frameworks dont fit well with indigenous ill-health beliefs. First Statement of Germ Theory. CAS Careers. Epidemiology(Fifth edition.). All qualitative data from participant observations, in-depth interviews, fieldwork, personal memos and informal conversations were organized using NVivo 10 computer software. Qual Health Res. New York: Oxford University press; 2012. 4. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. Positive correlation is when you observe A increasing and B increases as well. Germ theory emerged in the 19th Century, but it built on two notions that had earlier incarnations. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2001. WHO. Beliefs on the causes of birth defects as perceived by mothers of children with birth defects in a tertiary care hospital in the Philippines. Data obtained from observations and conversations were recorded in field notes, photographs, and audio-recordings. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3M2, Canada, You can also search for this author in The connection between ill-health and lying needs further exploration for indigenous groups like this. Trimingham S. Islam in East Africa. The emphasis on culture in our genetic counseling training recognizes its crucial role in molding an individual's conceptualization of health, as well as other life aspects, especially since the Filipino culture is a mixture of indigenous as well as imported and borrowed elements. Nature spirit- in Tehuledere, is the belief in qolle or quteb, wodaja, mewokel and chele spirits that is, venerating certain natural objects as sacred and the abode of spirits. The culture of the Tehuledere region reflects a mix of pre-Christian indigenous beliefs, as well as Christian, Muslim and migrant Cushitic Oromo (largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia) influences. Many become sick from the filth on the sharp equipment [Male, Study Community # 4]. 67 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<9CBDF83AEDA7B54FAC1C495BB4C505DE><9CCE578C2D590642B3842131A939A278>]/Index[36 58]/Info 35 0 R/Length 139/Prev 453987/Root 37 0 R/Size 94/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Google Scholar. Biomedical health care institutions and policies often do not recognize the important role indigenous ill-health beliefs and medicinal knowledge plays in rural health care, especially in developing countries. government site. To act in this capacity qolle must be acknowledged and shown respect through appropriate rituals such as scarification of goats, respecting the local customs and values, etc., the spirit of the qolle are good for keeping relatives safe from harm and maintain health [Male, Study Community # 3]. The present study used a qualitative descriptive design with semi-structured interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomena. You can read the details below. Being healthy means alemelekef [not having a spell]. TeleFax +91-581-2302188. The views presented in the article are of the authors and do not necessarily express the views of the funding organization. Finally the themes were incorporated into a conceptual model of the participants and their beliefs and perceptions in illness causation [18]. Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, and even death. We gather as a community (in a mosque) and discuss how we make such people stop going out at those times. In-depth understanding of disease causation aids in planningprevention and steps to tackle the disease in a population. For example, there are beliefs that health problems and/or an illness or death will occur if one gives false witness in front of Jamea (a group of community opinion leaders, usually Muslim clergy). 2005;83(1):7. Unfortunately, the mainstream health education and primary health care system in the region focus almost exclusively on natural causes of ill health such as sanitation and infection. These forces also have the ability to heal one from these spells. An official website of the United States government. Functionalists also study culture in terms of values. Two principal etiologies are identified: personalistic and naturalistic. Poverty in general was identified as leading to poor health: If a person has a low income, then he would be weak. Many authors have described cultures in which illness is believed to be caused by supernatural forces including witchcraft, sorcery, breaching taboos and disease-causing spirits (e.g., [2225]). The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Traditional healing and primary care: a socio-cultural study in a rural Tehuledere community, North-Eastern Ethiopia. Genetic counseling of the deaf. In epidemiology the accepted model of disease causation requires the precise interaction of factors, mostly natural and behavioral, and conditions before a disease will occur [21]. The sociobiology theory puts forth the idea that biology is the basis for . 1983. p. 155. Germ theory was the third disease causation theory with a characteristic marking of the onset of infectious diseases conquest. Predictors of indigenous healer use among Samoans. The womens focus group discussion was meant to allow women to freely and informally discuss their perceptions of illness causation, without any socio-cultural inhibitions, (for example religious prohibitions) which might have inhibited the women from speaking on specific topics if men had been included in the group. Unusual causes of emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance, Effect of the Gayatri Mantra Playing on Microbial Load in Room Air. A belief of disease causation where it is thought illness is caused by misbehavior or intervention of a supernatural being. Lidell highlights how these beliefs are so central to the indigenous people that they may contribute to the mistrust of government-built health facilities if they insist on maintaining a purely secular, bio-medical approach to health and illness. Tooth decay, measles, or a broken bone are examples. It is not publicly known how much CIA staff who have . 93 0 obj <>stream Supernatural explanations also dominated the discourse of ill-health causation in our study. Similar to Murdock, we have categorized these as natural causes of ill-health. Abstract Disease is an important entity in healthcare. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the perceptions of causes of ill health and disease in the study communities as a guide to how best to implement public health initiatives in the region. There are 23 Kebeles (the smallest local administrative unit) administered by the Woreda, including 19 rural, 2 urban and 2 semi-urban towns. We consider people who travel at this wrong time bad, harmful, killers and thieves or people into something tricky. According to Murdock, supernatural causes include: theories of mystical causation (i.e., fate, ominous sensation, contagion, and mystical retribution); theories of animistic causation (i.e., soul loss, and spirit aggression); and theories of magical causation (i.e., sorcery and witchcraft) [10]. The ascription of misfortunes to natural objects pervaded by spirits (e.g., qolle or quteb) was observed to be common in the study population. Medical and cultural considerations. hb```DV cc`aa,z0wCV)M\yZT"dRUG>!^pJ4*IHm4 #W}Lg``T PA&cqhd' -`A=L7ppv. Wiki User 2009-11-03 20:50:12 This answer is: Study guides Science 14. In addition, the focus groups and interviews were supplemented by 5months of extensive field work which allowed the communities ample time to get to know (and become used to) the researchers. Article This paper tries to summarise these changing perceptions of disease causation and provide a comprehensive overview.

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cultural theories of disease causation in nigeria