Knowledge, Attitude, and Utilization of Traditional Medicine within The Plural Medical System in West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract Background The concept of ‘medical pluralism’ has become more popular among scholars in applied health science and prevalent in societies where one medical system alone cannot adequately meet the health needs of the entire population. Methods As an ethnographic study of medical traditions, this study presents the dynamics of medical pluralism and utilization of the medical system in Kabupaten Bandung and examines how the character of the Sundanese community is reflected in the healthcare-seeking process. Results With regards to the total utilization by patients, the traditional medical system presents as the dominant medical system in the research area, accounting for 59.3% (n = 419) of total utilization, followed by the modern medical system (33.0%, n = 233), and transitional medical system (7.7%, n = 54). This study identified that village category, illness, illness duration, occupation, belief in traditional medicine, knowledge of modern medicine, accessibility, cost, proximity to the medical service, and insurance have significant (χ2 = .000) relationship with the utilization of medical systems. The results of the multivariate analysis show that the block of the predisposing socio-demographic factors and the block of the predisposing psycho-social factors correlate strongly with the utilization of medical systems. Conclusions In general, the population in Kabupaten Bandung seeks treatment from various sources, which in the context of the medical system, consists of the traditional, transitional, and modern medical system; therefore, it adopts the patterns of transcultural health care utilisation. In terms of the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of traditional medicine in West Java, the inhabitants of the five research villages were commonly familiar with medicinal plants and speak profoundly about their knowledge of traditional medicine, which in the research area is perceived as accessible, efficacious, affordable and culturally appropriate with Sundanese community.