article

Culture, health beliefs and attitudes in a rural Irish community

Anthropology Ireland4 (1) • Published In 1994 • Pages: 22-32

By: Conroy, Ronán M..

Abstract
This is a report on a preliminary study that was part of a broad project developed by the World Health Organization to apply techniques of community-wide intervention to prevent coronary heart disease. At the time, Ireland ranked fifth in the world for the disease. The aim of the study was to ascertain local knowledge and understandings of heart disease, health and diet. It found that heart disease was not recognized as a common problem and major cause of death. Rather, heart attacks were accepted as a natural, albeit dramatic, ending of a life. Locals were unaware of the connection between smoking and heart disease. It is concluded that any intervention would need to address the lack of understanding of the severity of and the risk factors for the disease.
Subjects
Interviewing in research
Morbidity
Diet
Preventive medicine
Theory of disease
Ethnophysiology
culture
Rural Irish
HRAF PubDate
2016
Region
Europe
Sub Region
British Isles
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Type
Physician
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard; 2015
Field Date
1984
Coverage Date
1984
Coverage Place
County Kilkenny, Leinster, Ireland
Notes
Ronán M. Conroy
Includes bibliographical references
LCSH
Ireland--Rural conditions