Therapeutic pathways of elderly diabetic patients in Korhogo: Between reasoned action, therapeutic capital, and medical pluralism
Keywords:
diabetis, therapeutic, aging, pathway, medicine, medical pluralismAbstract
This study examines the therapeutic pathways of elderly diabetic patients in Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire, using a methods approach that combines quantitative surveys (60 structured questionnaires) and qualitative data (30 semi-structured interviews). The findings reveal complex trajectories shaped by social representations of illness, economic constraints, symbolic affiliations, and the coexistence of biomedical and traditional healing practices. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action and the concept of therapeutic capital, the analysis shows that care decisions are not solely based on accessibility or cost, but stem from a socially situated rationality. Patients alternate between modern medicine and traditional care depending on chronicity, cultural legitimacy, and the relational quality of care. While biomedicine is often associated with technical rigor, endogenous practices are perceived as more accessible, culturally legitimate, and imbued with human proximity. This therapeutic hybridity reflects adaptive strategies in response to aging and structural inequalities. The study advocates for a culturally sensitive integration of both systems, based on therapeutic education, practitioner collaboration, and public policies that acknowledge traditional knowledge. It calls for inclusive, sustainable health models centered on the social realities of aging.
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