title: Emerging chronic illness: women and lupus in Ecuador.
abstract: This article reports on an ethnographic investigation of the experiences of urban Ecuadorian women suffering from the chronic illness, lupus. Chronic illness is "emerging" in Ecuador, and cultural models and the health care delivery system are struggling to adapt to the increasing burdens brought by life-long illness. Based on extensive qualitative interviewing of lupus patients and doctors and participant observation, we identify three areas of concern including a weak health infrastructure and unequal access to care, gender models that increase the emotional burdens, and cultural understandings about illness and morality that add to social stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. ann.miles@wmich.edu
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miles
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004484:Ecuador; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult