Mormon women and the role of religion in obtaining relevant health care

Abstract

Using the qualitative methodology of grounded theory, decision-making about health and illness situations was studied in a sample of six women members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons). The purpose of the study was to identify the process used by Mormon women in deciding when to use available healing alternatives, namely self care, the laying on of hands, biomedical practitioners expertise, and social support networks. The identified process, called the "Mormon Woman's Decision-Making Road-Map to Health," is composed of the categories of Protecting Health, Diagnosing a Problem, Considering Possible Treatment Actions, and Evaluating Treatment Effectiveness. The process described in the Road Map to Health model is helpful to health care professionals who seek to understand and influence the health care decision-making of their clients.