Unearthing Culture to Support Health Promotion: Learning from Rural Guatemalan Women.

This ethnographical qualitative study focused on health perceptions and practices of rural Guatemalan women. Researchers gathered data through interviews and observations in health, school, and village settings. Three themes emerged in data analysis: health practices are related to the situation of poverty; knowledge gaps exist related to healthcare; and natural remedies are a prevalent practice in rural communities.

Small-Scale Sustainable Water Project Decreases Infections, Complements Short-Term Medical Missions.

Many communities in developing countries do not have access to clean water, which is essential to health. This project involved the installation of clean water filters in two rural Guatemalan villages, a small-scale sustainable community project proposed by a short-term medical mission team and accomplished in partnership with local missionaries. The percentage of infections in adult visitors to medical clinics was assessed pre- and post-installation of filters, and although not statistically significant, decreased.