Health worker awareness of cultural health attitudes and practices in rural Colombia.
Health workers' awareness and understanding of clients' attitudes and practices regarding "health" is an important but insufficiently studied factor in planning health promotion programs. A group of thirty-seven rural Colombian campesino (peasant) women were interviewed to determine their health beliefs and practices. Following interviews and observation, the health workers (doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants) who worked with these women and their families, were interviewed regarding their perceptions and awareness of the campesinos' health attitudes and practices. The results show that the women had both western and "popular" (traditional) health practices. The health workers' awareness of their clients' beliefs and practices varied greatly and was influenced by various factors including: professional level, type of illness, local conditions, and experience. In general, however, the health workers were largely unaware of the more subtle health attitudes and practices-those attitudes which may strongly influence health seeking and health maintenance behavior. Concerted efforts must be made to determine the health beliefs and practices of a client or community in order for health promotion programs to be successful.
Macdonald
J
J
Health Sciences Division, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada.