[Cultural dimensions of the childhood primary health care delivery from the mothers' perceptions in the Araucania-Chile].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the cultural dimensions of the childhood primary health care delivery process from the mothers' perceptions in the Araucania region of Chile.


METHODS
Qualitative study performed in the year 2003 within the zone with the highest ethnicity rate of the country. Ninety four Mapuche and non-Mapuche mothers agreed to be in depth interviewed.


RESULTS
The analysis drew three cultural dimensions: a) Explanatory models of disease were associated with cultural, political-economy, and environmental factors; b) The therapeutic itinerary blends indigenous, popular, and biomedical resources and; c) Health care delivery process lacks of cultural competence.


CONCLUSIONS
The mothers explain their children diseases articulating religious, magic, and natural (hot, cold, humidity) causes. The main challenge of the primary healthcare delivery process is to overcome the communicational barriers due to the social and linguistic differences between mothers and health care providers.
Alarcón-Muñoz
Ana Maria
AM
Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile. amalarc@ufro.cl
Vidal-Herrera
Aldo Conrado
AC
D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services; D002677:Chile; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009035:Mothers; D010372:Pediatrics; D010465:Perception; D011320:Primary Health Care