Self-care practices, traditional medicine, and barriers to healthcare access in rural communities of Ecuador and Bolivia: a comparative qualitative study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/ihs.v2.i2.60Keywords:
rural health, self-care, traditional medicine, health services accessibility, qualitative research.Abstract
Introduction: In rural communities, access to health services is shaped by territorial, economic, organizational, and cultural factors that also influence self-care practices. Objective: To analyze self-care practices, the use of traditional medicine, and perceived barriers to healthcare access among residents of rural communities in Guayas, Ecuador, and the municipality of El Alto, Bolivia. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive, interpretive, comparative, cross-sectional study was conducted. A convenience sample of 180 adults participated, with 90 from each country. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation were used, and the instruments were reviewed by five experts. Information was examined through thematic analysis and cross-context comparison. Results: The analysis was organized into six categories: everyday self-care, traditional medicine, professional care seeking, geographic barriers, economic and organizational barriers, and experiences with health services. Household practices were used as an initial response to symptoms perceived as mild, whereas persistence or worsening of symptoms encouraged professional care seeking. Mobility constraints, indirect costs, and service availability were present in both settings, while traditional medicine was more visible in the narratives from the Bolivian communities studied. Conclusions: Care decisions were shaped by the interaction of territorial conditions, household resources, previous experiences, and traditional knowledge; therefore, rural access requires responses adapted to each community context.References
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