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Title Medical mistrust, discrimination and healthcare experiences in a rural Namibian community
Full text https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5k70t8hq
Date 2024
Author(s) Prall, Sean; Scelza, Brooke; Davis, Helen Elizabeth
Abstract Substantial evidence indicates that medical mistrust, resulting from experiences with discrimination and marginalisation, is a determinant of health disparities in minority populations. However, this research is largely limited to the US and other industrialised countries. To broaden our understanding of the role of medical mistrust on health-care decision making, we conducted a study on healthcare experiences and perceptions in a rural, underserved indigenous community in northwest Namibia (n = 86). Mixing semi-structured interview questions with the medical mistrust index (MMI), we aim to determine the relevance of the MMI in a non-industrialised population and compare index scores with reports of healthcare experiences. We find that medical mistrust is a salient concept in this community, mapping onto negative healthcare experiences and perceptions of discrimination. Reported healthcare experiences indicate that perceived incompetence, maltreatment and discrimination drive mistrust of medical personnel. However, reporting of recent healthcare experiences are generally positive. Our results indicate that the concept of medical mistrust can be usefully applied to communities in the Global South. These populations, like minority communities in the US, translate experiences of discrimination and marginalisation into medical mistrust. Understanding these processes can help address health disparities and aid in effective public health outreach in underserved populations.
Subject(s) Health Services and Systems; Health Sciences; Human Society; Social Determinants of Health; Basic Behavioral and Social Science; Rural Health; Health Services; Health Disparities; Clinical Research; Prevention; Minority Health; Behavioral and Social Science; 8.1 Organisation and delivery of services; Generic health relevance; Good Health and Well Being; Humans; Namibia; Trust; Female; Male; Rural Population; Adult; Middle Aged; Interviews as Topic; Young Adult; Healthcare Disparities; Qualitative Research; Adolescent; Aged; Racism; Medical mistrust; discrimination; healthcare; rural communities; Public Health and Health Services; Public Health; Epidemiology; Public health; Policy and administration
Coverage 2346207
Publisher eScholarship, University of California
Type of publication article
Source Global Public Health, vol 19, iss 1
Rights CC-BY
Identifier qt5k70t8hq; info:doi/10.1080/17441692.2024.2346207
Repository Berkeley - University of California
Added to C-A: 2024-09-02;09:11:23