Abstract
Little is known about Coptic migrants’ chronic disease health beliefs and treatment-seeking behaviours. Interviews to explore these issues and their relationship with church membership were conducted with 15 Coptic migrants in Southern England. Obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) were most frequently identified as health risks for Coptic migrants. CVD was ascribed to stress and considered amenable to spiritual healing. Lay referral to medical practitioners who were church members was common but may devalue perceptions of family medicine. The Coptic Church functions as a community that addresses members’ wider vulnerability. Central to this is the “parish nurse” role of the priest.
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Authors’ Contributions
JS and MC conceptualised the study; JS conducted all the field research; JS and MC conducted data analysis; JS drafted the manuscript, and MC revised it. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. JS is the guarantor of the paper.
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Ethical approval was obtained from Brighton and Sussex Medical School Research Governance and Ethics Committee in the UK [14/005/COO].
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Shenouda, J.E.A., Cooper, M.J.F. “One Big Family”: Pastoral Care and Treatment Seeking in an Egyptian Coptic Church in England. J Relig Health 56, 1450–1459 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0381-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-017-0381-5