RESPONDING TO COUGH - BOHOLANO ILLNESS CLASSIFICATION AND RESORT TO CARE IN RESPONSE TO CHILDHOOD ARI

A qualitative study into the health seeking behaviour of caretakers in response to ARI in children under five years of age was conducted in the province of Bohol, the Phillippines. The study was designed to com pliment survey data generated from a long running ARI intervention pro ject, specifically to explain behaviours identified as problematic by the project. Results indicate the importance of folk diagnosis as a ba sis for selection of first resort for care in the management of childh ood ARI. A cultural category, piang, was identified as a major factor influencing health seeking behaviour and delay in consulting the biome dical system where serious ARI exists. In addition, caretakers' financ ial situation and social contacts are important in their decision to s eek biomedical assistance and are often implicated in delay in present ation and acting upon referral to hospital.