Attitude towards modern and traditional medicine in an Iranian community

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of the paper is to determine attitudes towards traditional and modern medicine and, the use of the medical services in a southern province of Iran. The data are taken from a health survey conducted in 1975. The sampling of the rural and urban areas were done by a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. 1085 urban and 871 rural male head-of-households have been interviewed. The data indicates more favorable attitudes of the urban household towards modern medicine, and utilization of health services, in comparison with the rural sample, and there is strong confirmation of the hypothesis of a link between non-traditional attitudes towards medicine, on the one hand, and the contact with the urban way of living on the other. Education has an intermediate effect upon attitudes towards modern medicine. The age of individuals has a very marked effect on their consumption; a higher age level may well indicate a less favourable attitude towards modern medicine. There is relative under-consumption by old people, due to the fact that they reached maturity before the adent of modern medicine. The inhabitants of rural areas are less healthy than those of urban areas. This disparity cannot be explained solely by differences in socio-economic conditions: it is also based on knowledge and attitudes with regard to public health and the use of medical services.