Exploring religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders
Abstract Objective To investigate why cancer patients and their families prefer traditional, spiritual, folk, and religious healer practices over medical treatment, and to explore the various traditional, spiritual, folk, and religious healing practices used to treat oncological disorders. Methodolo...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-04818-w |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849238169042550784 |
|---|---|
| author | Nabila Anwar Salma Amin Rattani Salima Shams Farida Bibi Mughal Sahrish Jalaluddin |
| author_facet | Nabila Anwar Salma Amin Rattani Salima Shams Farida Bibi Mughal Sahrish Jalaluddin |
| author_sort | Nabila Anwar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective To investigate why cancer patients and their families prefer traditional, spiritual, folk, and religious healer practices over medical treatment, and to explore the various traditional, spiritual, folk, and religious healing practices used to treat oncological disorders. Methodology A descriptive qualitative study design was used. The participants were patients diagnosed with cancer (n = 4), their family members (n = 4), and the healers (n = 4) providing care to these patients. In total, there were twelve participants in this research. A semi-structured, open-ended interview guide was used for the data collection. Study setting Research was conducted in Murree, Kotli Sattian, Rawalpindi District of Punjab, Pakistan. Results Data analysis of this study showed that factors influencing decision making for the healing practices were resources, such as unavailability of healthcare facilities within the vicinity, distances and limited finances, fear related to a new diagnosis, and cultural influence, including spiritual and religious factors. Furthermore, the types of practices performed by the patients and used by healers to treat oncological disorders were found to be religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices. Conclusion People prefer religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders for multiple reasons including cultural belief, lack of resources, inaccessibility of healthcare facilities, and lack of awareness. People use various healing practices that they believe can aid in healing, but this is due to their ignorance. These and many other factors lead to a delay in cancer diagnosis, and it is too late to save their lives. However, religious and spiritual practices can help in enhancing the quality of life when an individual is in a challenging health condition. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c00d28ec58bb4adab389e152b991ddeb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-7671 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies |
| spelling | doaj-art-c00d28ec58bb4adab389e152b991ddeb2025-08-20T04:01:43ZengBMCBMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies2662-76712025-07-0125111010.1186/s12906-025-04818-wExploring religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disordersNabila Anwar0Salma Amin Rattani1Salima Shams2Farida Bibi Mughal3Sahrish Jalaluddin4School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan UniversitySchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan UniversitySchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan UniversitySchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan UniversitySchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan UniversityAbstract Objective To investigate why cancer patients and their families prefer traditional, spiritual, folk, and religious healer practices over medical treatment, and to explore the various traditional, spiritual, folk, and religious healing practices used to treat oncological disorders. Methodology A descriptive qualitative study design was used. The participants were patients diagnosed with cancer (n = 4), their family members (n = 4), and the healers (n = 4) providing care to these patients. In total, there were twelve participants in this research. A semi-structured, open-ended interview guide was used for the data collection. Study setting Research was conducted in Murree, Kotli Sattian, Rawalpindi District of Punjab, Pakistan. Results Data analysis of this study showed that factors influencing decision making for the healing practices were resources, such as unavailability of healthcare facilities within the vicinity, distances and limited finances, fear related to a new diagnosis, and cultural influence, including spiritual and religious factors. Furthermore, the types of practices performed by the patients and used by healers to treat oncological disorders were found to be religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices. Conclusion People prefer religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders for multiple reasons including cultural belief, lack of resources, inaccessibility of healthcare facilities, and lack of awareness. People use various healing practices that they believe can aid in healing, but this is due to their ignorance. These and many other factors lead to a delay in cancer diagnosis, and it is too late to save their lives. However, religious and spiritual practices can help in enhancing the quality of life when an individual is in a challenging health condition.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-04818-wPeople psychology or preferencesTraditionalReligiousSpiritualFolkAnd healing practices |
| spellingShingle | Nabila Anwar Salma Amin Rattani Salima Shams Farida Bibi Mughal Sahrish Jalaluddin Exploring religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies People psychology or preferences Traditional Religious Spiritual Folk And healing practices |
| title | Exploring religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders |
| title_full | Exploring religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders |
| title_fullStr | Exploring religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders |
| title_short | Exploring religious, spiritual, traditional, and folk healing practices for oncological disorders |
| title_sort | exploring religious spiritual traditional and folk healing practices for oncological disorders |
| topic | People psychology or preferences Traditional Religious Spiritual Folk And healing practices |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-04818-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nabilaanwar exploringreligiousspiritualtraditionalandfolkhealingpracticesforoncologicaldisorders AT salmaaminrattani exploringreligiousspiritualtraditionalandfolkhealingpracticesforoncologicaldisorders AT salimashams exploringreligiousspiritualtraditionalandfolkhealingpracticesforoncologicaldisorders AT faridabibimughal exploringreligiousspiritualtraditionalandfolkhealingpracticesforoncologicaldisorders AT sahrishjalaluddin exploringreligiousspiritualtraditionalandfolkhealingpracticesforoncologicaldisorders |