Alarcón-Muñoz, Ana M.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To explore the cultural dimensions of the childhood primary health care delivery process from the mothers' perceptions in the Araucania region of Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Qualitative study performed in the year 2003 within the zone with the highest ethnicity rate of the country. Ninety four Mapuche and non-Mapuche mothers agreed to be in depth interviewed. RESULTS: The analysis drew three cultural dimensions: a) Explanatory models of disease were associated with cultural, political-economy, and environmental factors; b) The therapeutic itinerary blends indigenous, popular, and biomedical resources and; c) Health care delivery process lacks of cultural competence. CONCLUSIONS: The mothers explain their children diseases articulating religious, magic, and natural (hot, cold, humidity) causes. The main challenge of the primary healthcare delivery process is to overcome the communicational barriers due to the social and linguistic differences between mothers and health care providers.

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