Pulled in or pushed out? Understanding the complexities of motivation for alternative therapies use in Ghana

Razak Mohammed Gyasi; Felix Asante; Joseph Yaw Yeboah; Kabila Abass; Charlotte Monica Mensah; Lawrencia Pokuah Siaw

doi:10.3402/qhw.v11.29667

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Pulled in or pushed out? Understanding the complexities of motivation for alternative therapies use in Ghana

Journal article

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Peer reviewed

Pulled in or pushed out? Understanding the complexities of motivation for alternative therapies use in Ghana

Razak Mohammed Gyasi, Felix Asante, Joseph Yaw Yeboah, Kabila Abass, Charlotte Monica Mensah and Lawrencia Pokuah Siaw

International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, Vol.11(1), pp.1-13

24/03/2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v11.29667

PMCID: PMC4808739

PMID: 27018431

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Abstract

a posteriori

Ashanti Region

cultural belief

Empirical

health-seeking behaviour

pull factors

Theoretical Study

traditional medicine

The impact of strong cultural beliefs on specific reasons for traditional medicine (TRM) use among individuals and populations has long been advanced in health care and spatio-medical literature. Yet, little has been done in Ghana and the Ashanti Region in particular to bring out the precise “pull” and “push” relative influences on TRM utilization. With a qualitative research approach involving rural and urban character, the study explored health beliefs and motivations for TRM use in Kumasi Metropolis and Sekyere South District, Ghana. The study draws on data from 36 in-depth interviews with adults, selected through theoretical sampling. We used the a posteriori inductive reduction model to derive broad themes and subthemes. The “pull factors”—perceived benefits in TRM use vis-à-vis the “push factors”—perceived poor services of the biomedical treatments contributed to the growing trends in TRM use. The result however indicates that the “pull factors,” viz.—personal health beliefs, desire to take control of one's health, perceived efficacy, and safety of various modalities of TRM—were stronger in shaping TRM use. Poor access to conventional medicine accounted for the differences in TRM use between rural and urban areas. Understanding the treatment and health-seeking behaviour of a cultural-related group is critical for developing and sustaining traditional therapy in Ghana.

Details

Title: Pulled in or pushed out? Understanding the complexities of motivation for alternative therapies use in Ghana
Creators: Razak Mohammed Gyasi - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Felix Asante - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Joseph Yaw Yeboah - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kabila Abass - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Charlotte Monica Mensah - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Lawrencia Pokuah Siaw - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Publication Details: International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being, Vol.11(1), pp.1-13
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Identifiers: 991013036340402368
Copyright: 2016 R. M. Gyasi et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license
Academic Unit: National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Pulled in or pushed out? Understanding the complexities of motivation for alternative therapies use in Ghana

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