| dc.description.abstract | Of late there has been a growing interest in understanding the
social aspect of medicine. Research is being conducted-in this
area in an attempt to understand how social and cultural factors . affect the health of people. This study is an attempt to identify
possible socio-cultural factors related to the health seeking
behaviour among the people of Ukwala in Siaya District.
Analysis of the findings indicate that a number of factors
influence the choice of therapeutic options. These factors include
the perceived etiology of the disease in question which is hereby
classified into two broad categories, namely, the natural and
supernatural realms. Diseases which fall under the natural realm
are mostly seen to be treated by modern medicine while those under
the supernatural realm are seen to be delegated to the area of
traditional and faith healing. Together with these are the herbal
remedies and non-prescribed patent medicine which are self
administered. The domains of these forms of therapy often overlap,
especially when the first mode, based on an etiological concept,
fails to provide satisfactory results. This occurs mainly where
chronic diseases are concerned.
A model hierarchy of decision-making in healthcare is seen to
be non-existent. What pertains are individual or lay groups and
situational decision-making hierarchies which are ever changing.
The decision making steps appear to supersede though they are
actually linked to economic considerations. Other factors include
the way ~he symptoms -of the disease in question are interpreted, level of education and general awareness.
A major conclusion of the study is that traditional healing
like faith healing is to some extent, based on faith. Both systems
have become part of the Luo culture although unlike traditional
healing, Christian faith healing is an adapt ion of traditional
thought to the religious plane. A kind of ideological
transformation has taken place such that Christians can still
believe in mystical forces but in a different context from the
secular ones. Whereas people traditionally talked of evil spirits
in witchcraft therapies, Christians talk of revelation by Angels in
a christian social therapy of spirit exorcism. In the final
analysis, traditional and faith healing are both seen to be more
effective in dealing with psychosomatic diseases because of their
focus on the "whole person" rather than specific symptoms. | en |
