HEALTH

HEALTHTRADTIONAL MEDICINE VS. MODERN MEDICINEThe view of the residents of Beadles Boulevard; Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.TRADITIONAL MEDICINE VS. MODERN MEDICINE 2012Kenroy GayleMunro College3/14/2012

VS.

CAPECARIBBEAN STUDIES PROJECT INTERNAL ASSESMENT (I.A.)(YEAR 2012)

Name of Candidate: Kenroy GayleSchool: Munro CollegeCentre #: 100082Candidate #: Proficiency: AdvancedTerritory: Jamaica Teacher: Miss. Janice Williams

Acknowledgments The completion of this study would not have been possible without the kind-hearted, willing assistance and cooperation of many people. Therefore, I would like to thank the residents of the Beadles Boulevard Community for their willingness and time in answering the questionnaires given.

My family members have also been a great source of help, as they provided the financial funds needed to create and print the questionnaires. Two of my classmates were also of great help in distributing the questionnaires, thereby making the work easier. My Teacher Miss. Janice Williams also deserves commendation for her expert assistance in my getting this exercise done.

Theme: Health

Topic: Modern Medicine

Problem Statement:How is Traditional Medicine versus Modern Medicine viewed by the residents of Beadles Boulevard; Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica?

Table Of Contents

Content Page

Introduction and Research Questions and Technical Terms..1Literature Review3Data Collection Sources..6Presentation Of findings..7Interpretation Of Findings...11Discussion Of Findings...12Conclusion, Limitation and Recommendations..13Bibliography....14Appendices..15

Introduction

The world has become modernized due to globalisation. As a result aspects of just about any culture are dying out. In many cases some people therefore wish to see their culture live on resulting in cultural retention. The truth is though; some aspects of our culture may exist longer than others or apparently may never die. In the Caribbean and specifically in Jamaica, many people still prefer traditional medicine compared to modern medicine, especially among the lower class people and middle class people. Traditional medicine was left by our African ancestors along with our European ancestors. The elite of society have the money to go and see a doctor and so hardly respect traditional medicine. On the other hand the lower and sometimes middle class dont have a choice but to resort to traditional medicine. Yes, there are those who advocate strongly for modern medicine, but which is better? In fact, isnt modern medicine derived from traditional medicine?

The answer lies within this research which purpose is not to elevate one form of medicine over the other but to edify the minds of those who prefer traditional medicine or modern medicine. The purpose of the following pages is to inform people of all classes about these two medicinal forms, so that they may determine their preferred choice.

Research Questions:1) What are the underlying reasons for the preference of traditional medicine versus modern medicine?

2) Do the benefits of traditional medicine outweigh the benefits of modern medicine?

3) Does the use of traditional medicine promote the preservation of our national heritage or culture?

4) Does affordability and accessibility influence the residents choice of either medicinal form?

Technical Terms:1) Primitive form of medicine- Ancient or old form of medicine that is considered unacceptable now or useless.

2) Traditional medicine- systems of medicine based on cultural beliefs and practises handed down from generation to generation. The concept includes herbal therapy and other treatments which may not be explained by modern medicine.

3) Modern Medicine- The period of history of medicine from 1601 A.D. to the present.

4) Bias-An unfair preference for or dislike of something.

5) Remedy- A medication or treatment that cures a disease or disorder or relieves its symptoms.

6) Medieval Doctors- Doctors who are old fashioned who administer traditional medicine along with modern medicine.

7) Elite- A small group of people within a larger group who have more power, status, social standing, wealth or talent than the rest of the group.

Literature Review The World Health Organisation, 2000/12/22 at the conference of Traditional and Modern Medicine, aptly defines Traditional Medicine as the sum total of knowledge, skills and practices, based on theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures that are used to maintain health, as well as prevent, diagnose and improve or treat physical and mental illnesses. The World Health Organization says that Traditional Medicine that has been adopted outside its indigenous culture and often termed as Alternative or Complementary Medicine. Herbs are the most popular form of Traditional Medicine around the world. Herbalist will advocate traditional Medicine such as Dr. John R. Christopher (2004) who studied traditional medicine for 30 years believes Herbs are looked down on. He acknowledged though that Modern Medicine is derived from thousands of Herbs. Modern medicine is defined as the experimental study of what happens when poisonous chemicals are placed into malnourished human bodies. The elite of society gravitate to modern medicine while the lower class gravitates to traditional medicine which is more available. Often times, modern medicine is put in the forefront in times of sickness. Children are no longer learning of the remedies given by our ancestors. This is compared to literally tearing off a chunk of our culture.

Medieval doctors have incorporated remedies used by Traditional Medicine Doctors into their daily work. In some places, traditional and modern medicine are practised side by side. Medical studies have shown that many patients use both medicinal forms says Professor William Aalbersberg, Professor of Natural Products Chemistry. Medicine is not only a science but an Art. It is this art that is a part of our culture says research scientist Professor Henry Lowe in the Jamaica Gleaner, 2010/11/02. Diane Robertson, Herbal Health Traditionist wrote an article in the Jamaica Gleaner, 2008/02/20 entitled Ancestral Healing for Your Heart stating In our era, the key to healing is to strike a balance between traditional healing and modern medicine. Each has its merit, value and place. Since we are our healers first, pay closer attention to how we feed our physical beings, life is a series of principles that is founded on a belief that we are capable of taking care of our own healing. She also stated a number of herbs found in our kitchen that are good for our heart. Robertson explained that the value of these herbs is supportable based on their history of use in well established systems. Some persons fail to accept any medicine. These persons fail to realize that this mentality leads to their demise and in fact it is these persons who die much younger. People fail to realize that all modern medicinal products are solely derived from traditional medicine.

A summative table from Popular Views of Traditional and Modern Medicine in Jamaica Table 1: Sample of Distribution of Stereotypes (N=500)

Which Medium do you think:Frequency(%)

Is more BeneficialTraditional MedicineModern MedicineNeither/Both362751643.828.917.3

Is prescribed to patients by DoctorsTraditional MedicineModern MedicineNeither/Both14113917615.515.219.3

Has a more favourable priceTraditional MedicineModern MedicineNeither/Both292951543.130.816.1

You were provided with as a childTraditional MedicineModern MedicineNeither/Both18912016519.912.617.5

You are more comfortable withTraditional MedicineModern MedicineNeither/Both381952034.422.323.2

Figure 1: Health Sensitization Survey. The Ministry of Health, Region 2, St. Elizabeth. (November 2000, P. 20)

The above table shows that the views of the people are that modern medicine is considered to be more beneficial. The participants (most) of this survey see modern medicine as the safer choice. The respondents also believe that modern medicine is easier to obtain in terms of price, which is quite the contrary. While most of the respondents were children, most of them were given traditional medicine; the elite took the modern medicine of their time. As most of the respondents grew up they failed to realise that all modern medicine is derived from traditional medicine. Modern medicine has become popular from the 1900s. In the Caribbean, traditional medicine is been pushed aside. Modern medicine continues get the credit as people believe that it is miraculously created by man and not derived from plants. This ignorance causes some people to grow afraid of taking medicine. It is thus important for people to immerse themselves in knowledge rather than hear say or impulse. Information is available.

Data Collection Sources

The data collection sources used were Primary and Secondary Sources. While using these sources the researcher made every effort to abide by the ethical and legal concerns. The researcher respected the respondents right to privacy and did not abuse their consent right to the end. One hundred and twenty questionnaires were dispersed. The respondents were politely asked to return the questionnaires within 5 days after it was received. This time period elapsed from January 9-13, 2012. Most of the respondents complied as the researcher received 99 questionnaires in return. This instrument of data collection was the Primary Source of data. Observations were also made in hospitals, clinics and doctors offices with permission. Secondary Sources of Data were taken from various literatures. Knowledge of research methods used in sociology was employed. Therefore, due to the strenuous effort made on the part of the researcher, the reader can be confident that the information presented is reliable. The sampling method used was a Representative Sample, therefore Random and Probability Sampling was used.

Presentation of Findings

Question 2.

Figure 1. A Bar Graph Depicting the Age Ranges of the Respondents

Question 4.

Affordability of Modern Medicine

Definitely18

Sometimes29

No52

Figure 2. Table showing that most of the Respondents cannot afford Modern Medicine.Question 5.

Figure 3. Graph showing the views of Doctors Administering Traditional Medicine.

Question 7.

Figure 4. A Disjointed Pie Graph showing preferences of Respondents.

Question 8.

Figure 5. A Doughnut Graph depicting Peoples Knowledge

Question 10.

Figure 6. A Pie Diagram telling peoples view of Modern Medicine.Question 12.

Figure 7. A doughnut chart telling the respondents view of a policy implementation

Interpretation of Findings

Ninety-nine (99) questionnaires were returned out of the 120. This means that 82 % answered the questionnaires. Most of the respondents were females totalling 58 persons. While this is a coincidence it is known that women visit doctors more than men. The respondents were between the ages of 13 and above 60 years. The views of more mature persons are appreciated as they grew up in a time when traditional medicine was more common in Jamaica. It is good that most of the respondents were employed (72%). There economic status is important as it determines which medicinal type is used by the respondents. This is because the government or family may provide money for those who cant afford Medicine. Even though most of the respondents are employed they all cant afford modern medicine at all times. Only 18% said they could. Therefore a high number of persons have trouble affording modern medicine; however, more persons still gravitate to modern medicine even though Traditional Medicine is more readily available.

These are the same individuals who prefer to put out the effort to obtain modern medicine. They (55%) are willing to take modern medicine not knowing its side effects. Many of the elite have the same view. 32% said they were not aware while 12% were clueless. This dumbstruck the researcher as 70% was adamant that they had full knowledge of both medicinal types. This could mean that some of the respondents were not observing the questions properly or are not aware of their ignorance. Most respondents also do not also know from where modern medicine was obtained.

The answer given for question 13 indicates that most of the respondents were above age 60 and may also have high cultural pride. The minority age group would be 13-19 who may not know much of traditional medicine but may have the perception of it been bush medicine. All the results show that people gravitate to modern medicine more these days.

Discussion of Findings It was noted that this work is cohesive. The Literature Review and Interpretation of Findings highlight this as Professor William Aalbersberge said that many Doctors practise modern and traditional medicine side by side. The data collected in this research shows that 66% (Figure 3) agreed that doctors should be trained in administering traditional medicine. This supports Doctor Henry Lowes view that by doing so we preserve and highlight our heritage as he wrote in the Jamaica Gleaner, 2020/11/02. It must also be noted that these persons have a high cultural respect. Another commonality found was in the Health Sensitization Survey (Feb. 2012. P. 15). It was observed that more people considered traditional medicine as beneficial. That can be linked to this research done 10 years later when 55% prefer to take modern medicine regardless of knowing its side effects. According to figure 6 most persons also believe that Modern Medicine encourages cure rather than prevention. People are still ignorant of the dangers of modern medicine which highlights the aim of the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health in Jamaica to sensitize people as assumptions and ignorance are present as shown in the data. Figure 2 shows that many people find it hard to obtain modern medicine; 18% could afford it. Modern Medicine is therefore supported by the elite of society and governments which try to provide for the poor. This recent study however fails to co-relate with the Health Sensitization Survey (Feb. 2012. P. 15). That survey shows that people found modern medicine quite affordable at that time; 10 years later there is a change due to the depreciating value of money.

Conclusions, Limitations and Recommendations The respondents never said that Traditional Medicine should not be taken. However, the findings show that people are ignorant and the influence of the word modern attached to medicine made their views to biased. These are the same persons who lack rich cultural pride. Traditional medicine is also scoffed at because of how it may taste or appear. All 99 respondents have been exposed to both medicinal types. The researchers findings has also indicated that a majority of the sample taken from the target population has indicated that there is a preference for modern medicine because of the fact they are not fully aware of the true benefits of traditional medicine. Some limitations were that mathematical errors could be made when considering the data returned on the questionnaires. Secondary Sources of data collection were very hard to find and had to be examined carefully for accuracy. To secure best outcome in the area of study, it is recommended to use a larger sample. Money must be put aside for the research or seek patronage.

BibliographyAtkiknson, K. (23rd January 2011). Modern Medicine vs. Traditional Medicine-Midland Daily News.Retrieved (January 2nd 2012), from http://www.ourmidland.com/voices/health/article/html. Bardzecki, I. (2004). Herbal Treatment. Retrieved (January 6th 2012), from http://www.herbaltreatment.com/herbal-remedies-versus-modern-medicine/page1html.

Beckford, E. (2006). Caribbean Studies Study Notes. St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

Dr. Christopher, J. (2002). Herbs vs. Modern Medicine. Retrieved (November 16th 2011), from http://www.healingfeats.com/herbsvshtm.

Mclean, E. (2008). Cape Sociology Booklet On Unit 1. St. Elizabeth, Jamaica.

Mohamed, J. (2007). Caribbean Studies For Cape Examinations An Interdisciplinary Approach. Oxford, UK: Macmillan.

Mustapha, N. (2000). Sociology For Caribbean Students. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randel.

Professor Lowe, H. (2009). Jamaican Scientist To Give International Address On Local Medicinal Research. The Gleaner, Thursday, August 16th 2009/Health C3.

Robertson, D. (2008). Ancestral Healing For Your Heart. The Gleaner, Wednesday, February 20th 2008/Health C2.World Health Organization.(2000).TRADITIONAL AND MODERN MEDICINE:HARMONIZING THE TWO APPRACHES. Western Pacific Region. 28(4), 48-59.Retrieved(December1rst,2011),from http://www.WPRO.WHO.int/NR/rdonlynes/7f5201AF.pdf.

AppendicesQuestionnaire

1. Sex: Male Female

2. Age: A.13-19 B. 20-35 C. 36-45 D. 45-59 E. Above 60

3. Which sector are you employed in?

Public Private Unemployed

4. Can you afford Modern Medicine? Definitely Sometimes No

5. Should Doctors be trained in the administration of Traditional Medicine?A. Strongly AgreeB. AgreeC. Strongly DisagreeD. Disagree

6. From where do you think Modern Medicine is obtained?A. Herbs and Traditional MedicineB. Historical records Hundreds of years oldC. Man made

7. Having knowledge of where modern medicine is obtained, which do you prefer?

Modern Medicine Traditional Medicine

8. Are you cognizant of both medicinal types fully? A. Strongly believe I doB. I believe I doC. Strongly dont believe I doD. I dont believe I do

9. Which medicinal type has more side effects?

Modern Medicine Traditional Medicine

10. Does Modern medicine emphasize cure rather than prevention?

A. Strongly agree B. AgreeC. Strongly disagreeD. Disagree

11. Are you aware that many modern medications supersede the advantages thus having more disadvantages?

Yes No

12. Should there be a national policy and regulations for Traditional Medicine just as Modern Medicine?

A. Strongly agreeB. AgreeC. Strongly disagreeD. Disagree

13. Why do you think modern medicine is a part of peoples culture thus promoting our culture?

14. Obeah Men and Mother Women are famous in the Caribbean; they are known to administer Herbal or Traditional Medicine. Are they to be trusted as they work with Spiritism?

15. Rate your Preference for Traditional versus Modern Medicine. The best rating is 1 while 4 is the lowest. Indicate your choice by a tick ( ).

Rating Choice

Traditional MedicineModern Medicine

1

2

3

4

PicturesTraditional Medicine. .A few of plants used for traditional medicineModern Medicine

Pictures of modern medicine