Social capital and use of folk and herbal medicine by older women in Almaty, Kazakhstan
by Thomas T.H. Wan, Askar Chukmaitov
International Journal of Public Policy (IJPP), Vol. 2, No. 3/4, 2007

Abstract: Factors influencing women who seek folk healers for care and who use herbal medicine are not well understood. The influence of social capital and cultural factors on utilisation behaviour of three ethnic groups – Kazakhs, Russians and Koreans – in Almaty, Kazakhstan, was investigated. It was postulated that seeing a folk healer was positively associated with the use of herbal medicine when the effects of social and cultural factors were simultaneously controlled. Our findings show that there were ethnic differences among those seeking folk healers for care. Social capital and cultural factors influenced the use of folk healers in the Korean group, but not in other ethnic groups. However, Kazakh and Russian groups were comparable in their utilisation behaviours. Irrespective of ethnic groups, there was a positive relationship between seeing folk healers and using herbal medicine. These findings can be used to design culturally sensitive health promotion and health evaluation programmes targeted to women and their folk healers. Improving the knowledge and understanding how herbal medicine affects personal health in different ethnic groups are essential to promoting these women's community health.

Online publication date: Fri, 23-Mar-2007

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Public Policy (IJPP):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

    Username:        Password:         

Forgotten your password?


Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com