The priority areas in the leprosy elimination programme are early case detection, case holding and consequently, the prevention of disabilities. In some countries, a significant number of cases do not seek treatment or seek treatment late, partly due to socio-cultural beliefs and stigma about leprosy. We review the literature on socio-cultural beliefs and stigma about leprosy and the interventi...

Breastfeeding's crucial role in infant health is universally recognised and yet there are a number of influences on the duration of breastfeeding. This quantitative study undertaken in Thailand explored whether personal beliefs and values influenced Thai working women's duration of breastfeeding. Ninety-nine Thai working mothers were asked to complete a questionnaire to explore the relationship...

Background: Menstruation is a natural and physiologic process that is managed based on various socio-cultural habits and behaviors. Cultural beliefs about menstruation can improve or worsen menstrual health behavior. The present study aimed to explore the cultural beliefs about menstrual health in Bam city, Iran. Materials and Methods: This is a qualitative study with Directed Content Analysis...

This exploratory, cross-sectional study examined the effect of self-reported cultural background on beliefs about medicines (modern pharmaceuticals) and perceptions of personal sensitivity to the adverse effects of taking medication. Using a validated questionnaire, beliefs about pharmaceutical medication were compared between 500 UK undergraduate students who identified themselves as having an...

BACKGROUND Although the health benefits of breastfeeding are well established, early introduction of formula remains a common practice. Cultural beliefs and practices can have an important impact on breastfeeding. This paper describes some common beliefs that may discourage breastfeeding in Lebanon. METHODS Participants were healthy first-time mothers recruited from hospitals throughout Leban...

Understanding patients’ beliefs of stroke, especially that cultural model which influences the medical management, is important. Professionals normally hold medical knowledge only about stroke, rather than the patients’ perceptions, which leads to limitations in cultural competency. Little is known about Saudi stroke survivors’ beliefs and behaviors related to their strokes. Methods: A qualitat...

This paper examines how cultural beliefs (cultural constructions) about women influence how women survivors of rape make sense of their traumatic experience. A thematic content analysis of interviews with female survivors of rape was undertaken to provide a systematic description of the phenomenology of the experience. This paper reports on one major finding which highlighted the ways in which ...