The Impact of Traditional Health Beliefs on the Health Practices of Women From Southern Taiwan.

Abstract

This study investigated the health beliefs of Taiwanese women in Anping, an urban district in Taiwan that was introduced to Western medicine in the 1860s. A qualitative design with content analysis was used. Fourteen Anping women aged 44 to 84 years were interviewed. The women integrated both traditional and Western biomedicine without any dissonance. Three themes were found: cultural beliefs about medicine-diet homology or the lack of a distinction between medicine and food, reliance on both doctor and deity, and a pattern of health practice based on situational decision making about which health practice to employ. Understanding health-related viewpoints in Chinese culture and its rationale will help health workers provide culturally competent care.