Lay prototypes of illness among a Northern Sotho community in South Africa

Illness representations have been shown to differ across cultures. The aim in this study was to  study disease terminology and lay prototypes among a Northern Sotho community in South  Africa. The sample for a free listing of disease terms included 41 (55%) women and 34 (45%)  men, with a mean age of 36 years (SD = 5.6, range 18 to 75 years). The sample for pile sorting  of disease terms included 80 Northern Sotho-speaking third-year students from the University  of Limpopo; 44 women, 36 men, mean age, 23.4 years (SD = 3.4). From free listing of disease  terms 50 were selected for pile sorting. Using hierarchical cluster analysis the following  clusters could be identified: (1) respiratory problems, (2) internal body problems and sexually  transmitted diseases, (3) chronic diseases and head diseases, (4) child diseases and mental  problems, (5) child diseases and cancer, (6) feet problems, (7) gastrointestinal diseases. There  was homogeneity of features within cluster and difference between clusters.