The participants strongly desired more respect
for the way of life as they live it. They did not want
HCPs to judge them because they did not follow
modern medical procedures as in an earlier study.
Prejudice from HCPs was an obstacle to participation
among members and groups from non-dominant
cultures. Knowledge of this opens dialogue and
encourages HCPs to be thoughtful as they work in the
broader community. The importance of treating women
with respect has been underscored in previous
studies. Respecting their culture by HCPs in this
study was different from many studies that focus on
the cultural differences between HCPs and clients.
Health care services are more attuned to cultural care
in this area of Thailand’s deep south. Most HCPs in
the study were Muslim, just like their clients. In this
area, Muslims are not the minority population, but
rather, they are the majority.