In studies in which race is regarded as a measure of culture (e.g., health services utilization, or health and
illness behavior), it may be less useful to specify race as a continuous variable.
Consequently, they were excluded from further analysis dealing with determinants of TM in
illness behavior. The rest 396 (85%) respondents used some form of TM treatments when they felt ill within the past twelve months (Figure 4).
Finally, cultural understanding of how health and
illness behavior is locally defined and morally influenced by rural values and beliefs will assist nurses in surmounting contextual challenges when developing patient advocacy resources (Cook & Hoas, 2008).
Although
illness behavior has been characterized as a decrease in activity and an absence of interest in the subject's environment (Chuluyan et al., 2000; Dantzer et al., 1996; Vegas et al., 2004), the changes observed in our study do not coincide exactly with this definition.
Illness behavior. Self-report of frequency of visits to the doctor and consumption of drugs without medical prescription in the last month.
(8-10) In the 1990s, our group conducted a study of 50 Meniere's disease patients to evaluate their personality traits,
illness behavior, depression, and anxiety.
The evaluating and the treating physician must be wary about excessive ordering as well as the misinterpretation of diagnostic tests because these may reinforce a detrimental pattern of
illness behavior (35).
With this influence CFS could be interpreted as a "cultural idiom of distress" or a form of culturally sanctioned
illness behavior which historically parallels interpretations of the 19th Century conditioned know as neurasthenia (Kleinman, 1988 as cited in Abbey & Garfinkel, 1991).
Clinicians are well aware of the clinical characteristics of
illness behaviors by somatizing patients.
Emphasize differential diagnosis and understanding illness impact and
illness behaviors. Also ask the resident to explain why the patient is considered a reliable reporter of his or her experience.
Impact of chronic illness and
illness behaviors. A variety of physical problems and symptoms, reflective of the varying diagnoses identified earlier, were reported.
