A qualitative study of 18 Tai Saek adults from two Nakhon Phanom villages described NCD management as a non-linear negotiation among traditional lifeways, changing agriculture and diet, generational relations, spirituality and biomedicine. Participants did not simply reject modern care; they selectively combined ancestor worship with clinical treatment. This could support cultural empowerment, while heavy reliance on rituals could delay biomedical care.
Key findings
- The core category, Cultural Perceptions and Risk Management of NCDs, linked contextual, causal, response and consequence domains in a non-linear process.
- Modernised agriculture, dietary change, generational negotiation and Sum Saew gatherings shaped how participants constructed behavioural and genetic meanings of NCDs.
- Participants selectively combined ancestor worship with biomedical care, creating both cultural empowerment and possible treatment delay when rituals dominated.
Why this matters globally
The findings suggest that minority NCD care should be co-designed with communities, acknowledge spiritual practice and local knowledge, and maintain referral pathways designed to reduce or detect delay. This approach may support culturally safe care but must not stereotype ethnic groups.
Thai researcher contribution
Amornrat Sangsaikaew and Wasana Ruaisungnoen of Khon Kaen University's Faculty of Nursing developed theory from Tai Saek voices in Nakhon Phanom, linking chronic-care nursing with local culture.
Limitations to consider
The theoretical sample comprised 18 adults from two villages. Findings are qualitative theory, not prevalence or effect estimates, and cannot represent all Tai Saek communities. Interview accounts and researcher interpretation require transferability and community validation elsewhere.
Verify the original sources
Belitung Nursing JournalOriginal article in Belitung Nursing Journal↗DOI: 10.33546/bnj.4761