Medical Anthropology in Nigeria

尼日利亚的医学人类学

• 批准号: 8703734
• 负责人: Nina Etkin
• 金额: $ 9.17万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1987
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1987-10-15 至 1990-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=8703734&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Medical; Anthropology; Nigeria

In this research Dr. Etkin will conduct a follow up study in a rural Hausa village in Nigeria. As a medical anthropologist, Dr. Etkin is interested in the relationship between culture and disease and she will determine how these have changed in the last ten years. Over this decade, several things have happened. The establishment of a local government clinic has facilitated access to Western medical care. Secondly, over this same span of time the Hausa community has become increasingly integrated into the national economy. Finally local agricultural development projects have not only affected diet but also the environment and the availability of local wild plant resources. Traditionally the Hausa incorporated these resources into their diet and believed they had medicinal properties, including the ability to prevent malaria, which is endemic to this region. During a year of planned fieldwork, Dr. Etkin will interview residents and focus on continuity and change in use of indigenous medicines. She will conduct field surveys to document available plant resources. A dietary survey will also be administered in conjunction with a broad-based questionnaire on food availability, selection and preparation. Clinic records will be examined and malaria screening conducted in conjunction with clinic personnel. Dr. Etkin will also collect plants to be tested for potential anti-malarial activity in a second laboratory phase of the project. This research is important because it examines how human health is influenced by the complex interrelationships among such biological and cultural variables as infectious disease, indigenous and Western medicines, diet and agriculture. The United States provides aid to third world countries to improve physical health and this research will contribute to its effective use.

在这项研究中，埃特金博士将在尼日利亚的一个农村豪萨村进行后续研究。作为一名医学人类学家，埃特金博士对文化和疾病之间的关系很感兴趣，她将确定这些关系在过去十年中发生了怎样的变化。在这十年里，发生了几件事。当地政府诊所的建立为获得西医提供了便利。其次，在这段时间里，豪萨族越来越多地融入国家经济。最后，当地农业发展项目不仅影响饮食，还影响环境和当地野生植物资源的供应。传统上，豪萨人将这些资源纳入他们的饮食中，并相信它们具有药用价值，包括预防疟疾的能力，疟疾是该地区的地方病。在为期一年的计划实地考察期间，埃特金博士将采访当地居民，重点关注土著药物使用的连续性和变化。她将进行实地调查，以记录现有的植物资源。饮食调查还将与关于食物供应、选择和准备的广泛问卷一起进行。将与诊所人员一起检查诊所记录和进行疟疾筛查。埃特金博士还将在该项目的第二个实验室阶段收集植物，以进行潜在的抗疟疾活性测试。这项研究之所以重要，是因为它考察了传染病、本土和西药、饮食和农业等生物和文化变量之间的复杂相互关系如何影响人类健康。美国为第三世界国家提供了改善身体健康的援助，这项研究将有助于有效地利用这一资源。