Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-r5zm4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-03T02:22:50.220Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A causal concept Of disease in an Iranian community

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Ali A. Alemi  and
Manouchehr Mohseni
Ali A. Alemi
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Teheran, Iran
Manouchehr Mohseni
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Teheran, Iran
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

In 1975, as part of a socio-medical survey in a southern province of Iran, the influence of socio-cultural variables on behaviour in relation to illness and on beliefs about the causes of disease was examined. It was found that traditional beliefs such as ‘luck’ and religion were related to locality and age. For instance, the urban literate community puts less emphasis than the illiterate rural population on such beliefs. Older people and those living in rural areas still tend to believe in as ‘evil eye’ as a cause of disease, but a small percentage of old people in both localities do believe that flies can cause disease. The causal role of culture or specific elements of culture on health and disease requires further study.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , October 1978 , pp. 347 - 351
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, O. (1963) The utilization of health services. In: Handbook of Medical Sociology, p. 349. Edited by Freeman, H.. Prentice-Hall, New York.Google Scholar
Apple, D. (1960) How laymen define illiness. J. Hlth hum. Behav. 1, 219.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Houghton, D.L. (1976) Determinations of Utilization of Primary Health Care Services. MPH thesis. School of Public Health, University of Teheran, Iran.Google Scholar
King, M. (1966) Medical Care in a Developing Country, p. 219. Oxford University Press, London.Google Scholar
Koos, E. (1954) The Health of Regionville. What the people Thought and Did about it. Colombia University Press, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paul, B.D. (1955) Health, Culture and Community, p. 491. Russel Sage Foundation, New York.Google Scholar
Read, M. (1966) Culture, Health and Disease, p. 142. Tavistock, London.Google Scholar
Rubel, A.J. (1960) Concepts of disease in Mexican American. Am. Anthrop. 9, 795.CrossRefGoogle Scholar