A brief qualitative study of indigenous traditional medicine providers in Timor-Leste

Brittany Guidos, Joni Calvario, Maria Hendrika van Zuilen
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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Providers of Traditional Timorese Medicine are an essential resource in rural communities, contributing greatly to the overall health of individuals in Timor-Leste. Their identity and role in healthcare has not been widely investigated and functions outside of the National Health System. The objective of this qualitative study is to describe the role of providers of Timorese Traditional Medicine in Timor-Leste and their practice of medicine. To perform this research, semi-structured interviews were performed with providers of Traditional Timorese Medicine in the rural district of Viqueque. Interviews took place at providers’ homes in Tetun and, after translation into English, interview content was analyzed and emergent common themes identified. The seven providers of Timorese Traditional Medicine interviewed mostly identified themselves as either a Liman Badain, Matan-Dook, or reported no title. Another identified himself by his political position as village chief, Xefe-Suku. Emergent themes from interview content included 1) Medical pluralism, reflecting that Timorese frequently use more than one medical system; 2) Spiritual sickness, reflecting illness and treatments commonly involving ancestral spirits or supernatural forces; and 3) Familial knowledge, reflecting healing practices and knowledge often kept within a family and passed down across generations. Generally, providers reported that the most common symptoms they treated in their practice were illnesses/misfortunes related to a woman’s gynecologic health and were obstetric in nature, especially concerns regarding reproductive health. This qualitative study provides information about the key role of select individual providers of Timorese Traditional Medicine and adds to the limited existing knowledge. Further qualitative and quantitative research must be done to further characterize the identities and role of different providers of Traditional Timorese Medicine.
对东帝汶土著传统医学提供者的简短定性研究
东帝汶传统医药提供者是农村社区的一项重要资源,对东帝汶个人的整体健康作出了巨大贡献。他们在医疗保健中的身份和作用尚未得到广泛调查,并在国家卫生系统之外发挥作用。本定性研究的目的是描述东帝汶传统医学提供者在东帝汶的作用及其医学实践。为了进行这项研究,对维克克农村地区的东帝汶传统医学提供者进行了半结构化访谈。访谈在德顿的提供者家中进行,在翻译成英语后,对访谈内容进行了分析,并确定了新兴的共同主题。接受采访的七个东帝汶传统医学提供者大多自称是Liman Badain或Matan-Dook,或者没有头衔。另一个人则以自己的政治身份——村长谢素库(Xefe-Suku)自居。访谈内容中出现的主题包括:1)医疗多元化,反映东帝汶人经常使用不止一种医疗系统;2)精神疾病,反映疾病和治疗通常涉及祖先精神或超自然力量;3)家族知识,反映了通常在家庭中保存并代代相传的治疗实践和知识。一般来说,提供者报告说,他们在执业中治疗的最常见症状是与妇女妇科健康有关的疾病/不幸,属于产科性质,特别是与生殖健康有关的问题。这项定性研究提供了关于东帝汶传统医学个别提供者的关键作用的信息,并增加了有限的现有知识。必须进行进一步的定性和定量研究,以进一步确定东帝汶传统医学不同提供者的特点和作用。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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