Patterns of Medical Pluralism in Health-Seeking Behavior among Communities in Barru Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Nurul Auliah Nasrullah; Nurgah Tandirerung; Ivan Prayogi; Ibrahim Arifin

doi:10.62238/jupsi.v3i3.337

Authors

Nurul Auliah Nasrullah Universitas Negeri Makasasar, Makassar, Indonesia Author
Nurgah Tandirerung Universitas Negeri Makasasar, Makassar, Indonesia Author
Ivan Prayogi Universitas Negeri Makasasar, Makassar, Indonesia Author
Ibrahim Arifin Universitas Negeri Makasasar, Makassar, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62238/jupsi.v3i3.337

Keywords:

medical pluralism, health-seeking behavior, traditional medicine, community health

Abstract

This study examines how medical pluralism shapes health-seeking behavior among communities in Barru Regency, South Sulawesi, by analyzing the roles of cultural beliefs, clinical experience, and economic as well as accessibility factors in treatment decision-making. Employing a qualitative descriptive–exploratory design, data were collected through in-depth interviews, non-participant observation, and document review involving community members, traditional healers, and formal health practitioners. Thematic analysis identified three main findings: culturally grounded beliefs that legitimize traditional medicine as a holistic and spiritually meaningful initial reference; clinically based trust that positions biomedical services as the primary source of diagnostic certainty and the management of serious illness; and economic and accessibility considerations that influence the sequence and intensity of health service utilization. These findings indicate that health-seeking behavior in Barru Regency is characterized by a sequential and complementary pattern of medical pluralism rather than a dichotomous opposition between traditional and modern medicine. Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature on health-seeking behavior by conceptualizing medical pluralism as a contextual social strategy, while practically highlighting the importance of culturally sensitive and integrative health service approaches

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