Representaciones sociales de la medicina complementaria y alternativa (MCA) para el cáncer en estudiantes universitarios de carreras de ciencias de la salud
Thesis
An exploratory qualitative study was done having as participants Health Sciences university students in order to understand the social representations that they have of complementary and alternative medicine/ treatments (CAM) for cancer. Focus groups were conducted and the information obtained was analyzed using thematic analysis and interpreted based on the social representation’s theory. Various social representations were found related to the definition, goals, treatments, effectiveness, information sources and the origins of the CAM. A high tendency to acceptance and a positive -while ambivalent- attitude towards the CAM, as well as a lack of knowledge by the conceptual differentiation between this type of medicine and popular medicine. Culture and social beliefs dominate the social representations that students have about MCA for cancer, in spite of their academic training.
