Webair Hana H, Bin Ghouth Abdulla S
Department of Family Medicine, Hadhramout University, Almukalla, Hadhramout, Yemen.
BMC Public Health. 2014 Jun 10;14:581. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-581.
Globally, about seven million children under the age of five died in 2011. Local illness concepts are thought to be related to inappropriate health-seeking behaviour, and therefore, lead to child mortality. The aim of this study was to contribute to the definition of common local illness concepts with their effects on health-seeking behaviour for common childhood illnesses.
A qualitative focus group study was conducted between April 1 and 6, 2013. Participants were drawn purposefully from the vaccination unit at Shuhair Health Centre in Yemen. Four focus group discussions were conducted. The total number of participants was 31 mothers with at least one child under the age of five with a history of fever, diarrhoea, cough, or difficulty breathing during the 14 days preceding the study. Data was collected and analysed using micro-interlocutor analysis.
The mean age of the participants was 31 years (SD ± 4). There was remarkable concordance in local illness concepts across the focus groups. During focus group discussions, six local illness concepts (Senoon, lafkha, halib, didan, raqaba, and ayn) were mentioned. Local illness concepts determined the type of treatment. Most of these illnesses were not treated medically. Lafkha, halib, raqaba, and ayn were always classified as "not for medical treatment", whereas senoon and didan as sometimes "not for medical treatment". For medical symptoms, i.e. fever, diarrhoea, cough, and difficulty breathing, medical therapy was usually an option; these were classified as never or sometimes "not for medical treatment". Mothers trust in traditional medicine and believe that it is always beneficial and never harmful. The participants do not disclose traditional medicine use with their doctors because doctors oppose these practices and are not open enough to these types of treatment.
Local illness concepts for common child illnesses are widespread, and they determine the type of treatment used. Interventions to improve children's health should use local illness concepts to educate parents. Traditional medicine as a treatment option in primary care should be considered.
2011年，全球约有700万五岁以下儿童死亡。当地的疾病观念被认为与不适当的就医行为有关，因此导致儿童死亡。本研究的目的是明确常见的当地疾病观念及其对常见儿童疾病就医行为的影响。
2013年4月1日至6日进行了一项定性焦点小组研究。参与者是从也门舒海尔健康中心的疫苗接种单位中特意挑选出来的。进行了四次焦点小组讨论。参与者共有31位母亲，她们每人至少有一名五岁以下儿童，且在研究前14天内有发烧、腹泻、咳嗽或呼吸困难的病史。使用微观访谈者分析法收集和分析数据。
参与者的平均年龄为31岁（标准差±4）。各焦点小组在当地疾病观念上有显著的一致性。在焦点小组讨论中，提到了六种当地疾病观念（塞努恩、拉菲卡、哈利布、迪丹、拉卡巴和艾因）。当地疾病观念决定了治疗方式。这些疾病大多未接受医学治疗。拉菲卡、哈利布、拉卡巴和艾因总是被归类为“不进行医学治疗”，而塞努恩和迪丹有时被归类为“不进行医学治疗”。对于发烧、腹泻、咳嗽和呼吸困难等医学症状，医学治疗通常是一种选择；这些症状被归类为从不或有时“不进行医学治疗”。母亲们信任传统医学，并认为它总是有益无害的。参与者不会向医生透露使用传统医学的情况，因为医生反对这些做法，而且对这类治疗方式不够包容。
常见儿童疾病的当地疾病观念广泛存在，并且决定了所采用的治疗方式。改善儿童健康的干预措施应利用当地疾病观念来教育家长。应考虑将传统医学作为初级保健中的一种治疗选择。
