Title: The survival of traditional medicine in a Peruvian barriada.

POPLINE Document Number: 170056

Author(s):

Davidson J

Source citation:

Social Science and Medicine, 1983;17(17):1271-1280.

Abstract:

Current trends in population dynamics reflect increasing movement from rural to urban environments. As a result the provision of health care for migrants has become a national priority in many developing countries. Information describing the extent to which traditional medical beliefs and practices persist is crucial to the formation of systems of health care for migrant communities. This paper describes the dynamics of medical conservatism. Data analysis obtained from a comparative study of 52 Peruvian women living in a rural highland province and 50 Peruvian women from a migrant squatter settlement, a barriada, indicates that length of exposure to an urban environment is less of a determinant in medical conservatism than age of enculturation. Medical conservatism has 2 faces. On the positive side it offers a means of preserving cultural and ethnic solidarity. On the negative side medical conservatism tends to remove participants from opportunities offered by available Western health services. Underutilization of available health facilities in countries in development is sometimes a direct result of the negative effects of medical conservatism. The result is that services such as immunizations, sanitation, emergency health care, pediatric care, family planning, obstetric and gynecological services and antenatal clinics are not utilized by those for whom these services are planned. In countries undergoing development, such as Peru, coordination between the introduction of health programs in semiurban areas and continuing mass media community health education programs will markedly improve the chances of success of primary health care programs. (author's modified)

Keywords:

Migration
Medicine, Traditional
Migrants
Peru
Delivery of Health Care
Cultural Background
Medicine
Utilization Review
Research Report
Recommendations
Rural Population
Urban Population
Rural-Urban Migration
Attitude
Indians, South American
Preventive Medicine
Plants, Medicinal
Social Change
Cross-Cultural Comparisons
Population Dynamics
Demographic Factors
Population
Health Services
Health
South America, Western
South America
Latin America
Americas
Developing Countries
Population Characteristics
Health Services Evaluation
Program Evaluation
Programs
Organization and Administration
Psychological Factors
Behavior
Ethnic Groups
Comparative Studies
Studies
Research Methodology