International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice Vol. 2(1), pp. 1 - 10
DOI: 10.13189/ijrh.2014.020101
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Cultural Beliefs, Social Support and Societal Ascribed Roles as Determinants of Patients’ Perception of Illness Symptom

Felicia O. Owadara ^*
Department of Social Work, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Given the roles of Patients’ perception of illness symptom in recovery and response to treatment, this paper examines the influence of cultural beliefs, social support and roles ascribed to the patient by the society on their perception of illness symptom with the view to enhance it and obtain the associated advantages. The study was targeted at all the in-patients and out-patients of the forty-six state-owned hospitals of Oyo state in Nigeria, out of which nine hospitals were randomly selected. Fifty (50) in-patients and out-patients were selected by convenience sampling from each of the selected hospitals to participate in the study, making a total of 450 respondents. Only the responses from 370 respondents were usable as some did not complete the questionnaire properly or refused to give necessary and relevant information. The instrument for the study is a questionnaire titled questionnaire on patients perception of illness symptoms. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test chi-square analysis, multiple regression analysis and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results show that a considerable percentage of the patients were positive in their perception of their illnesses. These perceptions do not differ between male and female patients but are different on the basis of age. Societal ascribed roles seem to influence perception of illness than both cultural beliefs and social support either combined or individually.

KEYWORDS
Illness Symptom, Societal Ascribed Roles, Cultural Beliefs, Patients, Social Support

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Felicia O. Owadara , "Cultural Beliefs, Social Support and Societal Ascribed Roles as Determinants of Patients’ Perception of Illness Symptom," International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1 - 10, 2014. DOI: 10.13189/ijrh.2014.020101.

(b). APA Format:
Felicia O. Owadara (2014). Cultural Beliefs, Social Support and Societal Ascribed Roles as Determinants of Patients’ Perception of Illness Symptom. International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, 2(1), 1 - 10. DOI: 10.13189/ijrh.2014.020101.