Biomedical subjects

Anitta Juntunen

Publications and source records attributed to Anitta Juntunen.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Baridi: a culture-bound syndrome among the Bena peoples in Tanzania.

The aim of this ethnographic study is to describe baridi, a culture-bound syndrome of the Bena peoples in the village of Ilembula, Tanzania. The data were collected through open-ended interviews (n = 49), observation and personal field diary, and analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The findings showed that baridi, emotional coldness, was a slowly progressing condition. It started with mild symptoms, such as feeling cold, tired and sick. Later, it influenced the sufferer's physical, mental, social, sexual, and economical well being. Treatment of baridi was based on identification of the cause, asking for forgiveness and sharing a ritual confirming family unity. Prevention of baridi required respect of the elderly and familial norms. The findings may advance professional understanding of cultural knowledge by demonstrating how sociocultural conditions produce variations in health.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2004

Lessons from interprofessional e-learning: piloting a care of the elderly module.

Educating health care professionals is a key issue in the provision of quality healthcare services. Interprofessional education has been suggested as a means of meeting this challenge. Four Finnish polytechnics providing education for nurses, social workers and physiotherapists wished to develop the content and methods of teaching the care of the elderly by collaboratively creating and implementing an interprofessional module of 15 European Credit Transfer units, using e-learning. This paper examines the planning and assessment of the impact of the pilot module. The web-based environment eminently suited teaching interprofessional care of the elderly. It supported content and methodological development and renewal of the module. It enabled discussion and collaboration between nursing, social work and rehabilitation teachers and students from the Polytechnics which are located in different parts of Finland. However, it became evident during the pilot that the most crucial challenges of the web-based pedagogy were in the ability of the teacher to supervise, support and motivate students and the organisation of interprofessional learning offered by collaborating institutions.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

Respect as the main lay care activity among the Bena in Ilembula village in Tanzania.

The aim of this ethnographic study was to explore the cultural care practised among the Bena in the Ilembula villages in Tanzania. The purpose was to describe the cultural norms of the social and familiar relationship practices among the Bena for improving and maintaining health in terms of lay care. The data were collected through interviews, participant observation and personal working diaries in the Ilembula villages. Sixty-one villagers were interviewed. The findings show that respect has two main functions: it confirms unity and ensures well-being. Unity is important, and any violation against it is expected to be followed by a punishment, usually in the form of health deterioration. The main respective activities ensuring unity are observed in communication patterns, obedience, sharing the hardships of life and innocence. Rituals focus on the living-dead ancestors and serve both to confirm unity and to ensure well-being. Adult individuals guarantee their own and their descendants' well-being by taking care of their parents' basic needs and taking care of them when they are ill. The parents ensure their children's well-being by teaching them the Bena cultural beliefs and taboos. Respect is based on the world view of the Bena, which pivots on harmonious unity between individuals, supernatural forces and the kinship system.

Cultural Characteristics↗