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Assessing the Impact of Cultural Beliefs on the Use of Evidence-Based Treatment for Diarrhea in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

A Thesis submitted to The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine. / Diarrhea is the fourth leading cause of children under
five worldwide. Recommendations for diarrhea
treatment include oral rehydration therapy,
continued feeding, zinc supplementation, and
antibiotic use if indicated. The use of these therapies
is lower than expected in developing countries. This
study aims to determine how cultural beliefs impact
the use of evidence-based approaches for diarrhea
treatment, specifically in developing countries. A
systematic review of primary research articles was
done to assess knowledge of and attitudes towards
evidence-based treatments, analyze care-seeking
behaviors, and identify beliefs attached to treatment
practices. Most cultural beliefs fall into the following
themes: misconceptions about evidence-based
treatments; feeding practices; home remedies and
herbal medicines; inappropriate use of medications;
and traditional healers and spiritual beliefs. The
results show the possibility for working with
traditional healers and the local population to gather
more data about beliefs and practices. This
information can be used to develop culturally
sensitive treatment programs that can operate within
the framework of local beliefs and practices.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/627178
Date30 March 2018
CreatorsJoshi, Rhucha
ContributorsThe University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Connell, Patrick MD
PublisherThe University of Arizona.
Source SetsUniversity of Arizona
Languageen_US
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsCopyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the College of Medicine - Phoenix, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.

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