Shawyer R J, bin Gani A S, Punufimana A N, Seuseu N K
WEC International, Senegal, Africa.
Soc Sci Med. 1996 Jan;42(1):111-23. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(95)00075-5.
This paper presents the findings of a rapid ethnographic research methodology used to investigate the beliefs and practices of rural mothers and grandmothers concerning diarrhoeal diseases in children under five years of age in Khon Kaen Province, Northeast Thailand. The multi-phase study used a combination of focus groups and clinical vignettes, semi-formal questionnaires and open-ended interviews. The efficiency of the combination of focus groups and clinical vignettes in obtaining an understanding of the important areas of belief in a short period of time is discussed, as well as the importance of quantifying and validating this information using other methodologies. A folk taxonomy of diarrhoea and its management is presented, and the implications of this for health planners is discussed. Most diarrhoea in children under one year is perceived to be su, a normal developmental stage which requires no treatment. As su is not considered to be diarrhoea, health messages concerning diarrhoea are not considered by care-givers. The labelling of a child with diarrhoea as having su results in a delay in help-seeking, a risk factor for dehydration. Thus su needs to be taken into consideration in health education campaigns. The informants demonstrated little understanding of the role of infection in diarrhoea, nor of the role of personal and domestic hygiene for its prevention, nor of the place and function of ORS, highlighting important areas where education is still necessary.
本文介绍了一种快速人种志研究方法的结果，该方法用于调查泰国东北部孔敬省农村地区母亲和祖母们关于五岁以下儿童腹泻疾病的观念和做法。这项多阶段研究采用了焦点小组讨论与临床案例展示、半正式问卷调查以及开放式访谈相结合的方式。文中讨论了焦点小组讨论与临床案例展示相结合在短时间内了解重要观念领域方面的有效性，以及使用其他方法对这些信息进行量化和验证的重要性。文中呈现了腹泻及其管理的民间分类法，并探讨了其对健康规划者的启示。一岁以下儿童的大多数腹泻被认为是“素”，这是一个正常的发育阶段，无需治疗。由于“素”不被视为腹泻，护理人员不会考虑有关腹泻的健康信息。将腹泻儿童标记为患有“素”会导致寻求帮助的延迟，这是脱水的一个风险因素。因此，在健康教育活动中需要考虑“素”的因素。受访者对感染在腹泻中的作用、个人和家庭卫生在预防腹泻中的作用以及口服补液盐的作用和功能了解甚少，这凸显了仍需开展教育的重要领域。
