cultural theories of disease causation in nigeria

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. 1988 Dec;4(4):160-3. doi: 10.1177/089033448800400409. We've encountered a problem, please try again. Our main collaborators in the study communities were the health extension workers and this may have impacted local perceptions about the study including who agreed to participate and what they shared with the researchers. Durowaye M, Adeboye M, Yahaya-Kongoila S, Adaje A, et al. A. This study further underscores the need to incorporate folk theories of disease causation, gender and malaria issues into malaria control strategies in order to improve their coverage and effectiveness in different contexts. government site. Miller addresses in a coherent and thoughtful way the problems faced by the Westerner who seeks to study African literature without colonizing that discourse. Mesfin H. Kahissay. 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 . People in our village sterilize the equipment they use for these purposes. Multifactorial causation of disease theory was proposed by Pettenkofer. 2005;83(1):7. Understanding the study communities perceptions of illness causation and ways of preventing diseases is very important in designing good health promotion and disease prevention strategies [28, 29]. (DOCX 17 kb). These conditions were often attributed to a curse and are referred to as Bezer Yemitelalef (genetically acquired disease). These discoveries and a host of others at the turn of the century marked a turning point in our aetiological concepts. The key themes that emerged from the focus groups and participatory observation were explored and refined in the interviews, but no new themes emerged from the interviews. Springer Nature. and transmitted securely. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! Click here to review the details. Mesfin H, Teferi G, Heather B. In addition to supernatural and natural elements, the data presented here suggest that social causes of illnesses need to be added to fully explain the perceptions of the study participants. FOIA Miasma was considered to be a poisonous vapor or mist filled with particles from decomposed matter (miasmata) that was identifiable by its foul smell. American journal of public health (New York, N.Y. : 1912),11(10), 908912. Table 1 Filipino word/s depicting cultural beliefs and their English translation Full size table Cultural norms function to support the fluid operation of society, and cultural values guide people in making choices. Ethiop J Health Dev. 2007;2:942. Naturalistic theory A theory of a disease causation where illness results from upset of the balance between the person and environment Naturalistic theory examples;Humoral , Ayurvedic ,and vitalistic approaches Humoral theory In these communities, illness is perceived to have supernatural (e.g., almighty God/ Allah, nature spirits, and human agents of the supernatural), natural (e.g., environmental sanitation and personal hygiene, poverty, biological and psychological factors) and societal causes (e.g., social trust, experiences of family support and harmony; and violation of social taboos). Data obtained from our study indicated that the role of social prohibitions and the consequences of their violation were a key factor causing health problems in Tehuledere. Choosing among five traditions. Witchcraft beliefs in diseases causation and health-seeking behaviour in pregnancy of women in Calabar South-Nigeria . 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]. Epidemiological triad includes Environment, Agent & host. 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. Early coding, concurrently with data collection, was conducted primarily in Amharic and included multiple readings of the text which were followed by detailed coding and sub-coding schemes around identified issues or themes [14]. A settled man lives in peace and prevents himself from syphilis and gonorrhoea. Consequently for many indigenous people, attempts to restore wellbeing through the utilization of biomedicine must include customary affirmation of the nature-spirit intercession as a feature of the recuperation process. The study communities also associated ill-health with social elements. However, the capacity to execute and give expanded resources to support the sustainable utilization of indigenous medicine and implement health strategies that take into account indigenous ill-health beliefs is constrained. BMC Public Health The participants in the study communities believe that if they honour the spirits, they will be rewarded by good health and that if the spirits are forgotten or ignored, the protection they provide may be withdrawn which will lead to illness or death. 4. 2006;20(2):12734. The outlook regarding disease causation has changed considerably with time and advancements in science. 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. In 1873, Pasteur advanced the germ theory of disease. Ideas about illness causation may include such ideas as breach of taboo, soul loss, germs, upset in the hot-cold balance of the body, or a weakening of the body's immune system. A historical overview of traditional medicine practices and policy in Ethiopia. I saw it happen as a child. 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. The indigenous religion of the people of this region recognizes the existence of a Supreme Being and other lesser spirits, namely, the ayana spirits which are believed to serve as intermediaries between man and the Supreme Being [8, 9]. This broad category includes five distinct types of natural causes of illness: infection, stress, organic deterioration, accident, and overt human aggression. If we dont work well due to a bad rainy season and so on, we feel insecure and become unhealthy [Male, Study Community # 1]. A second well respected ritual spirit, articulated in all five female focus groups as a spirit for health, is Chelle. Chelle is regarded as a goddess of fecundity, whose power is associated with fertility of women, maintenance of a healthy family, and acquisition of a good harvest. Predictors of cultural competence among nursing students in the Philippines: A cross-sectional study. Their growth and reproduction within their hosts can cause disease. 1990;28:6372. The researcher was also able to make substantial observations of local activities such as rituals, festivities, public gatherings involving health practices, and converse informally with community members. CAS CAS These two ideas were fully appreciated . Clipping is a handy way to collect important slides you want to go back to later. He is interested in research on actinobacteria, myxobacteria, and natural products. Having God/Allah in ones life was thought to lead to health and wellbeing. Ethiop J Health Dev. Nature of qualitative evidence. For example, the research findings were shared with research participants and the local research assistants who confirmed the interpretations accurately reflected their perceptions and experiences. We found that the absence of trust, troubles brought on by the actions and experiences of family members and violation of some social taboos were described as important determinants of ill-health within the study population. Therefore, the explanatory model of illness causation in this community was very similar to that of the Murdock model with one key difference: social elements need to be added to the model. Pasteur, Henle, Koch were the strong proponents of microbial theory after they discovered the micro-organisms in the patients secretions or excretions. Presence of worry was also seen as part of being cause of illnesses, as one female participant explained: If he is angry, then he wont do his work, he would just be distracted by worrying too much, I think that might lead to other diseases.But we worry about everything which is another cause of illness; we get ill with the very little thing [Female, Study Community # 4]. Free access to premium services like Tuneln, Mubi and more. A photography exhibition to highlight the impact rare diseases can have on families has gone on display. New York: The Free Press; 1994. As predominantly rural Woreda, most inhabitants rely on farming. Learning from strangers: the art and method of qualitative interview studies. . The respondents in the present study perceived that supernatural forces were the most important cause of ill health. [Female, Study Community # 2]. 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. Would you like email updates of new search results? 8600 Rockville Pike It appears that you have an ad-blocker running. New York: Wiley; 1978. 1983. p. 155. We will also share examples on how these common beliefs provide explanation as cause of illness and its implications in our genetic counseling profession. Meadows LM, Morse JM. Bull World Health Organ. He has published more than 15 research articles and book chapters in international journals and well-renowned publishers. This study found that among the Tehuledere there are a wide range of perceptions regarding the causation of illness. Why Covid lab-leak theory is so disputed. Liu Q, Ho KY, Lam KK, Lam WY, Cheng EH, Ching SS, Wong FK. In addition, they shared beliefs about natural causes of illness such as infection or lack of nutrition. This . This article's focus on disease causation derives from the emphasis on the political, economic, and cultural context of illness that characterizes Africanist scholarship in this field. 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. We consider people who travel at this wrong time bad, harmful, killers and thieves or people into something tricky. 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. Abstract Disease is an important entity in healthcare. New York: Oxford University press; 2012. Correlated with personalistic etiologies are the belief that all misfortune, disease included, is explained in the same way; illness, religion, and By using this website, you agree to our Letter to the Editor: "Orthopaedic and trauma care in low-resource settings: the burden and its challenges". J Genet Couns. Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's . Constructing evidence within the qualitative project. Culturally-based attitudes about seeking treatment and trusting traditional medicines and folk remedies are rooted in core belief systems about illness causation, i.e., naturalistic, Ayurvedic, biomedical, etc. This theory led to explanation of several outbreaks of cholera, plague and malaria (Mal-aria= bad air). Poverty in general was identified as leading to poor health: If a person has a low income, then he would be weak. 2016 Nov;46:121-126. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2016.09.001. He would not be able to have enough food, this affects his healthWeve become subject to Ke ijje Wode Afe Nuro (hand-to-mouth livelihood) [Male, Study Community # 3]. 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. Lam KK, Lam KK, Lam KK, Lam WY, Cheng EH Ching. ), 908912 God/Allah in ones life was thought to lead to health and wellbeing ( 4:160-3.... X27 ; S cause disease Pasteur advanced the germ theory of disease theory was proposed by Pettenkofer thought to to. Its implications in our village sterilize the equipment they use for these purposes overview of traditional medicine practices policy. A problem, please try again you like email updates of New search results research articles and book in! 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