01827nas a2200361   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001500055653001000070653000900080653001700089653002300106653001300129653001700142653001100159653001100170653002100181653001200202653000900214653001600223653001300239100001500252700001500267700001300282700001700295245009100312856004100403300001000444490000700454050001500461520097500476022001401451       1988                            d  c1988 Jun10aAdolescent10aAdult10aAged10aAnthropology10aAttitude to Health10aBuddhism10aChristianity10aFemale10aHumans10aImmune Tolerance10aleprosy10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aThailand1 aNeylan T C1 aNelson K E1 aSchauf V1 aScollard D M00aIllness beliefs of leprosy patients: use of medical anthropology in clinical practice.  uhttp://ila.ilsl.br/pdfs/v56n2a03.pdf  a231-70 v56  aNEYLAN19883 a<p>Illness beliefs of 61 patients identified as having leprosy were assessed by Kleinman's Explanatory Model Format. Our patients used a wide variety of etiologic theories which were grouped in categories such as venereal disease, heredity, dangerous food, sin, karma, and humoral disorders. Despite efforts at patient education, very few patients adopted the concept of bacterial infection to explain their illness. The patients identified their illness with a variety of different labels, some of which had associations with particular symptoms. Leprosy was perceived and experienced more as a series of acute disorders not necessarily related to one another. The various theories of illness were instrumental in directing treatment choices which included a number of indigenous healing practices. Such information may be useful in improving patient care and compliance by providing practitioners with interpretive strategies for communicating with their patients.</p>  a0148-916X