Staying Healthy: Evangelism and Health Perception Differences by Gender in a Guatemalan Marketplace

Abstract

This study examines the health status of market vendors in Antigua, Guatemala. Two general questions are raised. First, do women evaluate their health status differentially from men? Second, in a country where religious conversion is one of the principal aspects of social change today, does religious preference influence how individuals look at their own well-being? Specifically, we will evaluate differences in health between Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants. Significant differences between men and women exist. Men rate their health status routinely as being better than women's, and overall they feel that their health has improved during the past year. Religion plays an important role in shaping the social construction of medical well-being among Antiguan market vendors. To a significant degree, Evangelical Protestants regard their health situation more favorably than do their Roman Catholic counterparts.