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

Abstract

Purpose: 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. Design: A qualitative design with content analysis was used. Fourteen Anping women aged 44 to 84 years were interviewed. Results: 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. Implications: Understanding health-related viewpoints in Chinese culture and its rationale will help health workers provide culturally competent care.