Editor-in-chief

Prof. Paul Sudnik

Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany

Under my editorship the International Journal of Social Science and Humanity will be centered around the idea of new and emerging IT advancements geared towards finding solutions in tackling the problems and challenges that we face in the 21st century.

Home> Archive> 2012> Volume 2 Number 2 (Mar. 2012)
IJSSH 2012 Vol.2(2): 94-98 ISSN:2010-3646
DOI: 10.7763/IJSSH.2012.V2.75

Treatment Choice and Switching from One Modality to Another: Using Pathway Models as a Conceptual Framework

Srijana Pandey

Abstract—There is a broad range of technique to study the health seeking behavior; sociological approach is one of them. In developing countries, while studying health care area focus have been made on different health care practices and some of the relevant issue from perception of illness to health seeking behavior. In this study pathway model is used to predict health care choices. This study explains the people’s attitude and perceptions of health, their own understanding of the cause of illness, their belief system and their influence on health care decisions. A representative and random sample of 500 household was taken from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, using multistage sampling, with the probability of selection of study area proportional to their size. Data were collected by self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis is done by using statistical software SPSS 13. Descriptive measures and tables are used to interpret the data. Result suggests that families seek different types of providers for contrasting reasons and at varying stages of illness. Beliefs on different type of metaphysical concept like spirits, fate, karma etc affect their decisions regarding choice of health care. Near about 30% of the sample people of urban Kathmandu still believe in bhutpret and spirits. Fatalistic beliefs about health are common in the study area. Among the sample people 11.2% still believe in power of unseen spirits as a causal agent. People sought treatment or cure more promptly for a child than an adult. A significantly greater proportion of modern health care users (37.2%) turned to the faith healers when their first choice failed. This study is important both from the theoretical and practical point of view while understanding people's knowledge and concerns on the concept of health and ill-health and their health seeking behaviour in a multicultural setting.

Index Terms—Treatment choice, health care practices, health seeking behavior, belief system, perceptions of health, cause of illness.

Srijana Pandey is with the Department of Community Medicine, KIST Medical College, Imadol-6, Lalitpur, Nepal. (Tel.: 977-01-5-201680(Office), 98510-86235 (Mob.); e-mail: sirupandey@gmail.com)

[PDF]

Cite: Srijana Pandey, "Treatment Choice and Switching from One Modality toAnother: Using Pathway Models as a Conceptual Framework," International Journal of Social Science and Humanity vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 94-98, 2012.

PREVIOUS PAPER
NEXT PAPER

Copyright © 2008-2024. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity. All rights reserved.

E-mail: ijssh.editorial.office@gmail.com