Understanding the Use of Complementary and Traditional Medicine among Hypertensives in Ghana: An Application of the Socio-Ecological Model

Abstract

Background: Over 30% of Ghanaians live with hypertension. Yet a significant proportion continues to utilize traditional medicine alongside—or instead of—biomedical care. Understanding what drives this healthcare behavior matters critically for developing effective hypertension management strategies.

Objective: This study analyzes socio-ecological factors influencing traditional healer utilization among hypertension patients in Ghana, using the Socio-Ecological Model to inform health policy and practice.

Methods: We applied the Socio-Ecological Model as an analytical framework to synthesize academic literature, health data, policy documents, and case studies. This examined multi-level barriers and facilitators across individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy spheres that perpetuate traditional medicine usage in hypertension management.

Results: Patient decisions are driven by poor biomedical health literacy, cultural beliefs about illness causation, family and gender pressures, healthcare system constraints including availability and affordability barriers, social norms legitimizing traditional healers, and progressively accommodating policy frameworks. These factors interact dynamically across multiple levels to sustain medical pluralism in Ghana's hypertension care landscape.

Conclusions: Sustained preference for traditional healers derives from intersecting barriers across all Socio-Ecological Model levels. Culturally competent, pluralistic hypertension policies and programs that integrate traditional and biomedical systems while addressing multi-level barriers are vital for improving blood pressure control and reducing cardiovascular disease burden in Ghana.

Keywords: Medical pluralism, Traditional medicine, Hypertension management, Socio-Ecological Model, Ghana, Healthcare access

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/120-06

Publication date: May 30th 2026