Sonja K. Ulrich

Health Care Seeking Behavior in Rural Soconusco of Chiapas, Mexico: Dealing with Health and Illness in Impoverished Rural Areas Sonja K. Ulrich

This thesis examines the types of health care choices rural people in Chiapas Soconusco region make within their cultural belief system and available resources. The utilization of health care services depends on many variables: personal beliefs, cultural traditions, availability and access to services, and the financial means to pay for them. The population in this study identifies itself as campensenos, or small-scale farmers, and struggle for survival among large agricultural businesses. By examining the existing health infrastructure in Chiapas, Mexico, and the traditional medicinal practices that have established themselves in this region over time, this study questions the health care choices people are able to make based on inconsistent availability of medical resources. While this study is based on a very small sample of people, it shows a need for further research in this understudied coastal region of Chiapas.