https://journal.ahmareduc.or.id/index.php/medica/issue/feed 2026-07-14T03:18:00+00:00 M. Ibraar Ayatullah medica2108@gmail.com Open Journal Systems <p><strong>MEDICA (International Medical Scientific Journal)</strong><strong>, </strong>with registered numbers ISSN<strong> <a href="https://issn.perpusnas.go.id/terbit/detail/1534738901" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2622-6596 (Print)</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://issn.perpusnas.go.id/terbit/detail/1534736954" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2622-660X (Online)</a></strong> is an <strong>open access</strong> and peer-reviewed journal presenting timely research on all aspects of health that other media have not published. Managed by the <strong>Borneo Scientific Publishing </strong>in cooperation with <a href="https://cendrawasih.ac.id/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Politeknik Cendrawasih Palu, </strong></a>with the<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v7aKO-F3DEkTDtpTa8-d2ptxAWnfVMJW/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> MoU</strong></a>, published by <strong>Borneo Scientific Publishing. MEDICA (International Medical Scientific Journal)</strong> is published <strong>monthly</strong> (twelve issues per year), namely in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December. Manuscripts are published as original articles, review articles, and case reports. The Journal invites public health professionals concerned with any of these areas to submit research on topics including, but not limited to, health promotion &amp; disease prevention in all stages of human life, medical laboratory, nursing, environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics, pharmacology, toxicology, pharmaceutics, health policy and administration, public health, nutrition, occupational health and safety, health promotion, reproductive health, maternal and child health, midwifery, dental health, and other related articles in public health.</p> https://journal.ahmareduc.or.id/index.php/medica/article/view/1117 2026-06-10T01:32:42+00:00 Arfiah Arfiah arfiah@uwn.ac.id Nurdin Rahman arfiah@uwn.ac.id Andi Mascundra Amir arfiah@uwn.ac.id

<p>Maternal healthcare behavior is shaped by biomedical, sociocultural, familial, and traditional factors. However, despite improvements in maternal health programs in Indonesia, limited evidence exists on how sociocultural processes influence maternal healthcare decision-making among indigenous communities. This study aimed to explore the sociocultural influences on maternal healthcare behavior among the Kaili Indigenous community in Loru Village, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. A qualitative ethnographic study was conducted in Loru Village, Sigi Biromaru District, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, between January and June 2025, involving seven participants selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, participant observation, document review, and triangulation interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings demonstrated that maternal healthcare behavior was strongly influenced by collective family decision-making, sociocultural values, customary authority, and traditional beliefs. Furthermore, culturally responsive communication by midwives and collaboration with traditional birth attendants increased community acceptance of formal maternal healthcare services while respecting local cultural practices. These findings indicate that maternal healthcare behavior within the Kaili Indigenous community is a socially and culturally embedded process rather than an individual health decision. They further highlight the potential of culturally responsive maternal healthcare strategies that actively engage families, community leaders, and traditional birth attendants to improve maternal healthcare utilization and strengthen culturally appropriate service delivery in indigenous settings. Further research involving multiple indigenous communities, larger participant groups, and comparative ethnographic designs is warranted to confirm the transferability of these findings and broaden understanding of sociocultural influences on maternal healthcare behavior across diverse cultural contexts.</p>

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