Making Sense of Health Problems: Folk Cognition and Healthcare Decisions

In this chapter we present research on the roles that traditional and folk knowledge play in comprehension and use of health concepts in making health related decisions. The studies were conducted with children and mothers in several less developed countries of Africa, Asia and South America. Issues relevant to personal healthcare, such as the abilities for following health-related instructions, conceptualizations of causal mechanisms of disease, traditional beliefs and practices of family planning, and the assessment of health related cognitive activities are the focus of the chapter. We discuss these issues in the context of the relation between folk beliefs and modern biomedical knowledge. We also present some thoughts on ways to advance in our understanding of health cognition in relation to health beliefs and behavioral outcomes for further research, and the potential benefits that such understanding can provide for more adequate health promotion intervention efforts.