Anthropological study of the role of nutrition in cancer prevalence (Study community: Turkmen people)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of Anthropology, Department of social Sciences, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University; Tehran, Iran

3 Department of social Sciences, Garmasar branch, Islamic Azad University, garmsar, Iran

4 Assistant Professo Faculty of Social Sciences, Islamic Azad University of Central Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/ijar.2025.376218.459871

Abstract

Purpose- The issue of health and maintaining it is one of the most basic and obvious needs of human societies. The findings of medical knowledge indicate that public health is directly related to the nutritional system, which is a cultural issue. The population studied in this research has a very high cancer risk compared to the international standard level.Studying the nutritional system in the studied society from a cultural perspective and knowing the cultural views and beliefs that have been involved in the formation of the nutritional system in this society is a way to discover the causes that are one of the main causes of malignant gastrointestinal diseases in the studied society.Considering that the knowledge of anthropology in our country is less in the field of medical anthropology and with the problematic approach of this knowledge, in this article, it is possible to achieve patterns in interdisciplinary interaction that will ultimately lead to the study and improvement of the level of public health. The main purpose of this article was to identify the cultural factors of the nutrition system in the studied community and its role in the high prevalence of gastrointestinal cancer among Turkmen.
Methodology- The research method in this article is qualitative and was formed with an ethnographic approach. The most technique in this study was the semi-structured interview technique. In addition, part of the data collection was done through documentary studies and observation. The method of data analysis and interpretation was chosen based on Levi-Strauss' theory of structuralism, especially his food triangle, as well as Clifford Geertz's interpretative semiotics.
Findings- The findings of the article indicate that some factors play a role in the incidence of cancer in the studied community. In many cases, Turkmens use dangerous food patterns that increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer, including unhealthy and inappropriate cooking methods in their traditional diet. In this article, the nutrition system was discussed from the three perspectives of raw materials, cooking methods, and the symbolic role of beliefs in shaping the nutrition system and cooking methods in the studied society.The primary ingredients in the food basket of the studied society are cereals, especially wheat and its products, which are mostly consumed in the form of bread, red meat and rice. The way of cooking traditional foods is mostly based on frying with hot oil, which is one of the unhealthy ways of cooking, and in the food triangle of Strauss, the largest share is devoted to incomplete fermentation cooking. In cooking, half-baked food is mostly done by tandoori or grilling method, which results in incomplete cooking of food.
Conclusion- The results indicate that the nutritional system in the studied community tends to increase the risk of gastrointestinal diseases, including cancer. Excessive consumption of some foods such as grains and red meat and improper cooking methods and not using some useful and effective foods in prevention such as vegetables and fruits are among the factors that increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer in this region. Also, the system of beliefs and convictions rooted in the cultural structure of the Turkmen people fuels this style of nutrition. These three were found to be effective in forming a type of nutrition that increases the susceptibility to cancer. Raw materials and cooking method directly and the belief system facilitating the use of food are among the factors that increase the risk of gastrointestinal cancer in the cultural system of the studied society.  

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

ازکیا، مصطفی؛ ایمانی جهرمی، حسین (1382). روش‌های کاربردی تحقیق. تهران: اطلاعات.
استروس، کلود لوی (1394). توتمیسم. مترجم مسعود راد. تهران: توس.
اعظمی‌راد، گنبددردی (1382). نگاهی به فرهنگ مادی و معنوی ترکمن‌ها. مشهد: ناشرمؤلف.
پاکتچی، احمد؛ درزی، قاسم (1393). نقش ترجمه فرهنگی در مطالعات میان رشته‌ا‌ی با تأکید بر الگوهای نشانه‌شناسی فرهنگی، فصلنلمه علمی پژوهشی مطالعات میان رشته‌ای، سال ششم، ش: چهارم، صص: 33-49.
جرجانی، ‌موسی (1394)، ایرانیان ترکمن، تهران: دفتر پژوهش‌های فرهنگی.
حجاریان، محسن (1395). مردم‌شناسی و موسیقی  (گزیده مقالات). تهران: کارنامه کتاب.
راسخ، محمدصالح (بی‌تا). تاریخ و فرهنگ ترکمن‌ها. به‌اهتمام عبدالعزیز عمر. بی‌جا. بی‌نا.
ساروخانی، باقر (1384). روش‌های تحقیق در علوم انسانی. تهران: پژوهشگاه علوم انسانی و مطالعات فرهنگی.
فکوهی، ناصر (1393). ت‍اری‍خ‌ ان‍دی‍ش‍ه‌ و ن‍ظری‍ه‌ه‍ای‌ ان‍س‍ان‌ش‍ن‍اس‍ی‌. تهران: نشر نی.
فلیک، ‌اووه (1388). درآمدی بر تحقیق کیفی. م: هادی جلیلی. تهران: نشر نی. 
الکساندر، جفری (1402). برنامه قوی در جامعه‌شناسی فرهنگی. م: مسعود وفایی، تهران: نشر نگاه معاصر.
کمالی، محمدشریف؛ عسگری‌خانقاه، علی‌اصغر (1374). ایرانیان ترکمن: پ‍ژوه‍ش‍ی‌ در م‍ردم‌ش‍ن‍اس‍ی‌ و ج‍م‍ع‍ی‍ت‌ش‍ن‍اس‍ی‌. تهران: اساطیر.
کمالی، محمدشریف (1362). ریشه‌یابی قوم ترکمن‌های یموت، مجموعه مقالات مردمشناسی، ‌دفتر دوم. تهران: وزارت فرهنگ و آموزش عالی.
گیرتز،‌ کلیفورد (1398). تفسیر فرهنگ‌ها. ترجمه محسن ثلاثی. تهران: ثالث.
لومبار، جک (1397). مبانی نظری مردم‌شناسی. م: جلال‌الدین رفیع‌فر. تهران: خجسته.
لیچ، ادموند (1358). لوی استروس. م: حمید عنایت. تهران: خوارزمی.
متین، پیمان (1401). انسان‌شناسی پزشکی. تهران: فرهامه.
ملک‌زاده، رضا؛ فضل‌اللهی، نرگس (1393)، مطالعه هم‌گروهی استان گلستان، تهران: میرماه.
میرشکرایی، محمد؛ زیباکناری، سیدعلی (1402). چای در ایران: پژوهش مردم‌شناختی. تهران: پیشین‌پژوه؛ آزما.
Alexander, Jeffery.c (2008) , Clifford Geertz and the Strong Program: The Human Sciences and Cultural  Sociology,  Cultural Sociology.
Alexander, Jeffrey C.(2003). The meanings of social life : a cultural sociology. Translated by masoud vafaee. Tehran, Asatir Publication. (in persian)
Azami rad, Gonbad dordi(1382), The study of material and spiritual culture of Turkmen. Mashhad, Azamirad. (in persian)
Azkia, Mostafa; Imani Jahromi, Hossein (1382). Applied research methods. Tehran, ettelaat  Publication. (in persian)
Catherine Panter-Brick (2018), The field of medical anthropology in Social Science & Medicine, Social Science & Medicine: Vol. 196, pp. 233-239
Darzi, ghasem; Pakatchi, Ahmad(). The Role of Cultural Translation in Interdisciplinary Studies; with the Emphasis on the Cultural Semiotics Patterns. Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities. Vol:6. No:4. P:33-49. (in persian)
Dressler W.William   (2012). "Cultural consonance: linking culture, the individual and health."
Fakoohi, Naser(1393), History of anthropological thought and theories. Tehran, ney Publication. (in persian)
Flick, Uwe (2006). An introduction to qualitative, research. Translated by Hadi Jalili. Tehran, ney Publication. (in persian)
Geertz, Clifford(2021).  The interpretation of cultures : selected essays. Translated by Mohsen Solasi. Tehran, Salles Publication. (in persian)
Hajarian, Mohsen(1395). Anthropology of music(Selected articles), Tehran, Karnameh ketab Publication. (in persian)
Jorjani, mousa (1394), Turkmens of Iran ,Tehran, Iran cultural studies office. (in persian)
Kamali, Mohammadsharif(1362), The origins of the Yamut Turkmen people. Anthropological Essays (Second Series). Tehran, Ministry of Culture and Higher Education (Anthropology Center). (in persian)
Kamali, Mohammadsharif; Askari khaneghah, Aliasghar(1374). Turkmen Iranians. Tehran, asatir Publication. (in persian)
Leach, Edmund Ronald (1358) IEVI - strauss, claude. Tehran, Kharazmi Publication..
Levi-Strauss, Claud (1394). ‎Le totémisme aujourd'hui. Translated by masoud rad. Tehran, Toos Publication. (in persian)
Lombard, Jacques (1397), Introduction à l'ethnologie. Translated by Jalal,e,din rafi,e,far. Tehran, Khojasteh Publication. (in persian)
Malekzadeh, Reza; Fazlollahi, Narges. Golestan Cohort Study(1393). Tehran, Mirmah Publication. (in persian)
Matin, Peyman(2022), Medical Anthropology. Tehran, Farhameh Publication. (in persian)
Mirshakrai, Mohammad; Zibakenari, Seyed Ali (2023). Tea in Iran: Anthropological Research. Tehran, Pisheenpajouh, Azma Publication. (in persian)
Rasekh, Mohammadsalleh(?). History and culture of the Turkmen.??. (in persian)
Sarokhani. Bagher (1384). Research methods in the humanities. Tehran, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies. (in persian)
Singer, merril- Eriecson, pamela (2022); Acampanion to Medical Anthropology: USA: Wiley-Blackwell
 
 
Iranian Journal of Anthropological Research
Volume 15, Issue 1
Indexing Databases
August 2025
Pages 81-102

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics