Cross-cultural differences in explanations for health and illness: A British and Ugandan comparison

Abstract

Two groups of student participants one from Great Britain, the other Uganda completed a four-pan questionnaire on lay perceptions of current and future health, the causes of illness, and the nature of recovery. Demographic differences between the two groups, totalling 335 subjects in all, were co-varied out statistically. As predicted the most consistent and strongest difference between the groups was the Ugandans' belief that supernatural factors influenced their health to a limited extent, while the British believed this factor to be irrelevant to current and future health status. The other major difference between the groups indicated that the Ugandans, more than the British, rated the importance of Western medicine as a contributor to their current and future health. The results could be explained by the main causes of mortality and the health services available in the two countries. Limitations of studies such as this are discussed.