Women's health priorities: cultural perspectives on illness in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

Qualitative research was conducted in rural Bangladesh to identify salient illness categories and perceptions of illness severity among women. Data were gathered using the techniques of free listing, pile sorting, and severity ratings. In-depth interviews were also employed for collecting examples of illness episodes and delineating explanatory models. Women's reproductive tract illnesses were among the more salient and serious health problems for which care is sought. Data gathered through pile sorting demonstrate that women in this rural community have clear conceptions of illness groups, with different strategies of treatment for various categories. This analysis suggests that new initiatives concerning women's reproductive health are needed in this rural region.