Doctoral Degrees (Family Medicine and Primary Care)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Family Medicine and Primary Care) by Author "Mji, Gubela"

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    Exploring the health knowledge carried by older Xhosa women in their home situation, with special focus on indigenous knowledge
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Mji, Gubela; De Villiers, Marietjie Rene; Gibson, Diana; Van Niekerk, Lana; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Family Medicine and Primary Care.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rationale: Critical questions have been raised about the overcrowding of primary care services, such as community health centres (CHCs) and clinics in predominantly Xhosa-occupied areas in the Western and Eastern Cape, with clients who present with minor health ailments. Suggestions have been made about the integration and the use of the indigenous health knowledge (IHK) carried by older Xhosa women in the services as a strategy for managing minor health ailments, and as a way of encouraging appropriate health-seeking behaviour. Preliminary studies have reinforced the need for the revival of the IHK that currently is lying dormant within communities. The studies affirm that such knowledge could be an asset if integrated into, and valued by, the Western biomedical model, and could play a major role in contributing towards alleviating the problem of overcrowding in primary care (PC) services. Aim: This study primarily explored and described the IHK carried by older Xhosa women and used in the management of health problems in their home situation. Secondary recommendations were made to key stakeholders regarding the use, retainment and integration of the IHK into PC services. Method: This ethnographic, feminist and emancipatory study used qualitative methods of data collection. Thirty-six (36) older Xhosa women were purposefully selected to participate in four FGDs, to explore the IHK that they used for managing health problems in their home situation. Sixteen (16) in-depth interviews were conducted with the elite older Xhosa women and their family members to validate the findings from the four FGDs. The process of analysis and interpretation was informed by an inductive process of a combination of narrative analysis and the analysis of narratives strategies. Findings: The findings showed that the older Xhosa women possess IHK regarding the management of minor health problems within the home situation. Assessment, treatment strategies and medications were identified. Functionality and observation are mainly used to diagnose and manage illness. This approach also includes monitoring the progress, severity and recovery from illness in the patient. The findings further demonstrated that older Xhosa women were also managing illnesses that could be classified as major. They could clearly distinguish between what was health and what was illness in their village. Distance from health care services had an impact on the health-seeking behaviour of the older Xhosa women, with those closer to health care services wanting all illnesses, even those that could be classified as minor health ailments, to be managed by the health service, and those who were farther away from the hospital appearing to manage complex illnesses, and only referring clients with those illnesses to external health care services quite late. The findings further showed communication and attitudinal problems that existed between the clients and health care providers. Conclusion: Many studies have already challenged the manner in which PHC was implemented in developing countries, as it appeared to focus on the curative approach to disease and left out disease prevention and health promotion. It is within this area that the older Xhosa women appear to express the greatest concern for the health of their homes and villages. The older Xhosa women in the Eastern Cape appear to be struggling with problems of broken family units, and are left behind to struggle to keep the home together, as they lack the necessary resources to do the hard work involved with producing food and building the home and village. In the light of the promise of National Health Insurance and the revitalisation of PHC, the study proposes that the two major national health policies should take cognisance of the IHK utilised by the older Xhosa women, and that there should be a clear plan as to how the knowledge can be supported within a health care systems approach. A rural health model is proposed by the study to do this.