Childhood anemia as a social illness
Ethnographic study in a rural community in northwestern Ecuador
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.16921/pfr.v11i1.398Keywords:
childhood anemia; medical anthropology; social representations; rural health; EcuadorAbstract
Introduction: Childhood anemia remains a persistent public health concern in rural settings, despite the sustained implementation of biomedical strategies based on iron supplementation and food fortification. The persistence of the condition suggests the presence of sociocultural determinants that extend beyond the conventional nutritional framework.
Objective: To understand childhood anemia from an anthropological perspective by exploring the social representations, family practices, and cultural meanings associated with the condition in a rural community in northwestern Ecuador.
Methods: A mixed-methods study with qualitative predominance was conducted, grounded in medical anthropology. The quantitative phase consisted of a retrospective review of medical records of children diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia (Hb < 11 g/dL). The qualitative phase involved ethnographic fieldwork, including in-depth interviews with key informants, discourse analysis, and the classification of social representations.
Results: Findings revealed the persistence of childhood anemia, low adherence to clinical follow-up, and limited clinical improvement, regardless of geographic access to health services. Ethnographic analysis identified consolidated social representations framing anemia as bodily weakness, an expression of structural poverty, and a potential precursor to severe illness. Therapeutic practices were primarily food-centered, alongside a symbolic delegitimization of biomedical diagnosis and treatment.
Conclusions: Childhood anemia emerges as a socially produced and morally interpreted condition. Its persistence cannot be adequately explained solely within the biomedical paradigm. The integration of sociocultural approaches is essential for designing culturally situated and sustainable interventions in rural contexts.
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