Anthropologies of African Biosciences, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Tavistock Place, London WC13 7HT, UK.
BMC Public Health. 2010 Sep 17;10:556. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-556.
Many public health researchers conducting studies in resource-constrained settings have experienced negative 'rumours' about their work; in some cases they have been reported to create serious challenges and derail studies. However, what may appear superficially as 'gossip' or 'rumours' can also be regarded and understood as metaphors which represent local concerns. For researchers unaccustomed to having concerns expressed from participants in this manner, possible reactions can be to be unduly perturbed or conversely dismissive.This paper represents a retrospective examination of a malnutrition study conducted by an international team of researchers in Zambia, Southern Africa. The fears of mothers whose children were involved in the study and some of the concerns which were expressed as rumours are also presented. This paper argues that there is an underlying logic to these anxieties and to dismiss them simply as 'rumours' or 'gossip' would be to overlook the historic and socio-economic factors which have contributed to their production.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with the mothers whose children were involved in the study and with the research nurses. Twenty five face-to-face interviews and 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with mothers. In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted with research nurses participating in the trial.
A prominent anxiety expressed as rumours by the mothers whose children were involved in the study was that recruitment into the trial was an indicator that the child was HIV-infected. Other anxieties included that the trial was a disguise for witchcraft or Satanism and that the children's body parts would be removed and sold. In addition, the liquid, milk-based food given to the children to improve their nutrition was suspected of being insufficiently nutritious, thus worsening their condition.The form which these anxieties took, such as rumours related to the stealing of body parts and other anxieties about a stigmatised condition, provide an insight into the historical, socio-economic and cultural influences in such settings.
Employing strategies to understand local concerns should accompany research aims to achieve optimal success. The concerns raised by the participants we interviewed are not unique to this study. They are produced in countries where the historic, socio-economic and cultural settings communicate anxieties in this format. By examining this study we have shown that by contextualizing these 'rumours', the concerns they express can be constructively addressed and in turn result in the successful conduct of research aims.
许多在资源有限的环境中进行研究的公共卫生研究人员都经历过对其工作的负面“谣言”；在某些情况下，他们被报道制造了严重的挑战并破坏了研究。然而，表面上看似“八卦”或“谣言”的东西，也可以被视为代表当地关注的隐喻。对于不习惯以这种方式表达关注的研究人员来说，他们可能的反应是过度不安，或者相反地不屑一顾。本文代表了对一个在南部非洲赞比亚由国际研究团队进行的营养不良研究的回顾性检查。本文还介绍了参与研究的母亲们的担忧，以及一些以谣言形式表达的担忧。本文认为，这些焦虑是有内在逻辑的，如果仅仅将其视为“谣言”或“八卦”，就会忽视导致其产生的历史和社会经济因素。
对参与研究的儿童的母亲以及研究护士进行了定性访谈。对 25 名母亲进行了 25 次面对面访谈和 2 次焦点小组讨论（FGD）。此外，还对参与试验的研究护士进行了面对面访谈。
参与研究的儿童的母亲以谣言形式表达的一个突出焦虑是，招募进入试验表明孩子感染了艾滋病毒。其他的焦虑包括试验是巫术或撒旦教的伪装，以及孩子的身体部位会被切除并出售。此外，给孩子吃的改善营养的乳基液体食物被怀疑营养不足，从而使他们的病情恶化。这些焦虑的表现形式，如与偷取身体部位有关的谣言和对受污名化状况的其他焦虑，为了解这种背景下的历史、社会经济和文化影响提供了一个视角。
在实现最佳成功的研究目标时，应该伴随理解当地关注的策略。我们采访的参与者提出的担忧并不是这项研究独有的。这些担忧出现在历史、社会经济和文化背景下以这种形式传递焦虑的国家。通过检查这项研究，我们表明，通过将这些“谣言”置于背景下，可以建设性地解决它们所表达的担忧，并反过来成功地实现研究目标。
