Religion,Spirits, Human Agents and Healing: A Conceptual Understanding from a Sociocultural Study of Tehuledere Community,Northeastern Ethiopia

This paper explores the relationship among religion, spirits and healing in the Tehuledere community in the northeastern part of Ethiopia and focuses on how this knowledge can inform primary healthcare reform. The study employed qualitative ethnographic methods. Participatory observation, over a total of 5 months during the span of 1 year, was supplemented by focus group discussions (96 participants in 10 groups) and in-depth interviews (n = 20) conducted with key informants. Data were analyzed thematically using narrative strategies. The present study revealed that members of the study community perceive health, illness and healing as being given by God. Many of the Tehuledere people attribute illness to the wrath of supernatural forces. Healing is thought to be mitigated by divine assistance obtained through supplication and rituals and through the healing interventions of nature spirit actors. We found that the health, illnesses and healing were inextricably linked to religious and spiritual beliefs. Our findings suggest that religious and spiritual elements should be considered when drafting and implementing primary healthcare strategies for the study communities and similar environments and populations around the globe.

     

Test Anxiety Scale: reliability among Ethiopian students

Sarason's Test Anxiety Scale, translated into an Ethiopian language, was administered to 391 students in Grade 8 and to 422 students in preparatory school (Grades 11 and 12). In the first sample, 32 items loaded above the 0.3 criterion of acceptable item-remainder correlations and Cronbach alpha of .84. In the second sample, Cronbach alpha was .84 for the 34 items, but only 19 items had acceptable item-remainder correlations. The internal consistency reliabilities were comparable with those reported in the literature. However, the results of confirmatory factor analyses with extraction of four factors did not confirm the item loadings on factors as reported in the literature. Younger students (Grade 8) were found to have higher mean Test Anxiety than Grades 11 and 12 students. The Amharik version of the Test Anxiety Scale as a whole could be considered reliable and useful for Ethiopian students.