Methodological Challenges in researching health beliefs and practices of Cancer patients in Assam.

Abstract

Cultural health attributions, beliefs, and perceptions towards health and illness influence the health-seeking behaviour and practices of cancer patients. The purpose of this paper is to consider the process through which the causal health attributes and the treatment-seeking processes of tobacco-related cancer patients were studied in the Barak Valley region of Assam. Unveiling the methodological issues in conducting the study, the paper outlines the dynamics of the hospital as a research setting. The paper also discusses the researcher’s engagement with the subject, the methods and tools used in the study by unfolding the processes of fieldwork.