<![CDATA[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]]>
Copyrights © 2026
