Objective:Traditional medicine practices vary widely in keeping with the social and cultural heritage of different communities.Beliefs regarding the causes of diseases are passed on from generation to generation.Descr...Objective:Traditional medicine practices vary widely in keeping with the social and cultural heritage of different communities.Beliefs regarding the causes of diseases are passed on from generation to generation.Descriptions given to various diseases are based on traditional beliefs common to a given community.A number of diseases are defined based on culturally specific conceptions.A disease such as‘Kooko’finds a number of descriptions from different cultures in Ghana.The knowledge of its explanation and meaning is important to help its management.Methods:Qualitative and quantitative self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data.Results:Among the three ethnic groups interviewed for the study,45%defined‘Kooko’with regard to its relationship with growth at the anus.All respondents defined‘Kooko’with respect to its clinical manifestations.The signs and symptoms of‘Kooko’were given as;63.33%bloody stool,60%growth at the anus,40%mucoid stool and 31.66%said constipation.On the causes of‘Kooko’39%of the respondents said diet,33%said aging and 25%attributed it to hereditary.86.66%said‘Kooko’affects only men however,13.34%said women and children had equal chances of being affected.Respondents in the Upper West gave four distinct types of‘Kooko’:dry,deep,external and internal.In the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions,‘Kooko’was classified based on the site of the body it affects however,most of them stressed on the anus as the common site.Conclusion:‘Kooko’is a syndrome encompassing a wide range of conditions which includes haemorrhoids and other conditions of the body including,the eye.展开更多
文摘Objective:Traditional medicine practices vary widely in keeping with the social and cultural heritage of different communities.Beliefs regarding the causes of diseases are passed on from generation to generation.Descriptions given to various diseases are based on traditional beliefs common to a given community.A number of diseases are defined based on culturally specific conceptions.A disease such as‘Kooko’finds a number of descriptions from different cultures in Ghana.The knowledge of its explanation and meaning is important to help its management.Methods:Qualitative and quantitative self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data.Results:Among the three ethnic groups interviewed for the study,45%defined‘Kooko’with regard to its relationship with growth at the anus.All respondents defined‘Kooko’with respect to its clinical manifestations.The signs and symptoms of‘Kooko’were given as;63.33%bloody stool,60%growth at the anus,40%mucoid stool and 31.66%said constipation.On the causes of‘Kooko’39%of the respondents said diet,33%said aging and 25%attributed it to hereditary.86.66%said‘Kooko’affects only men however,13.34%said women and children had equal chances of being affected.Respondents in the Upper West gave four distinct types of‘Kooko’:dry,deep,external and internal.In the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions,‘Kooko’was classified based on the site of the body it affects however,most of them stressed on the anus as the common site.Conclusion:‘Kooko’is a syndrome encompassing a wide range of conditions which includes haemorrhoids and other conditions of the body including,the eye.
