Socio-Cultural Review of Health Seeking Behaviour among Muslim Female Diabetes Patients

Abstract

Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus has increased dramatically in the world. Women are the worst sufferers of the condition, but limited study exists regarding diabetes among the Muslim women. The present study was undertaken to examine the diverse health seeking behaviours among the Muslim residing in Akkaraipattu 5 and 6 GN divisions, by selecting 75 women. An approach integrates both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques were found to be most suitable for this study. Primary data were gathered through questionnaire, interview, and simple observation. According to the research findings, diabetes is high among middle age (53.3%), well educated, middle class (45%) women. Socio, economic and cultural factors including fast food habit and lack of exercises (risk taking behaviours) have severely caused to numerous complications (eye, heart, kidney, foot, hypertension, and neuropathy) and surgeries. Medical pluralism is a visible factor among these women, who mainly enter the professional sector including Western and Ayurveda medical systems. Specifically, 93% of them do prefer Western medicine. However, cultural barriers (for women) were restraint to maintain a good doctor-patient relationship. Though traditional Unani medical treatments are available in the area, they have abandoned it. Apart from the popular sector, they seek self-medication and do believe in folk and popular sectors. Interestingly, they do have negative perceptions and mythical believes regarding diabetes, which prevent them cured from the illness. Their everyday lives are medicalised and considerable reflexivity toward health seeking behaviour is growing and tended to follow food consumption plan, exercise and self-monitoring of glucose etc. As a whole, the Muslim community in the study area (mosque) has given considerable attention to prevent diabetes.