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 Philippines. The study was designed to compliment survey data generated from a long running ARI intervention project, specifically to explain behaviours identified as problematic by the project. Results indicate the importance of folk diagnosis as a basis for selection of first resort for care in the management of childhood ARI. A cultural category, piang, was identified as a major factor influencing health seeking behaviour and delay in consulting the biomedical system where serious ARI exists. In addition, caretakers' financial situation and social contacts are important in their decision to seek biomedical assistance and are often implicated in delay in presentation and acting upon referral to hospital.