title: Evidence of cultural hybridity in responses to epilepsy among Pakistani muslims living in the UK.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine how people from Bradford's Pakistani Muslim community experience living with epilepsy. Specifically, the paper addresses social interactions and negotiations with care providers and considers how different understandings of epilepsy are integrated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews were conducted with a sample of Bradford's Pakistani Muslim community (n = 20). Interviews were analysed to identify themes and significant areas of shared concern.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This paper identifies popular, professional and folk sectors contributing to an individual's 'health system'. Where sectors overlap, zones of hybridity are created: that is, a person might simultaneously seek help from a doctor and from a religious healer, or might offer explanations for seizures that include neurological and spiritual components.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While there are many similarities between the experiences of these minority ethnic community members and published work on the lived experience of epilepsy in other communities, there are also important differences that service providers need to recognize and respond to. Differences include forms of cultural expression and specific language needs. Improving communication between professionals and persons with epilepsy needs to be prioritized.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Studies, University of Bradford, 25 Trinity Road, Bradford BD5 0BB, UK. N.A.Small@bradford.ac.uk
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Small
authors.forename: Hanif
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003144:Communication Barriers; D004739:England; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology