Public Perception of Traditional Bone Setters and Medical Risk Among Indonesian Respondents

Abstract

Traditional bone setters (TBS) continue to be a highly utilized source of care for musculoskeletal disorders in Indonesia. However, there is an absence of systematic evidence on public perceptions of their effectiveness and safety, and how such perceptions shape treatment decisions. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of TBS use by sociodemographic characteristics and to explore public perceptions of TBS effectiveness and safety and the impact of these perceptions on treatment decisions. The research design used was cross-sectional. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling with 107 respondents through an online questionnaire using social media. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. The lifetime use rate of TBS was 76.6%, and 42.1% were still active users at the time of the study. The most common reasons for choosing TBS were family or peer influence (57.9%), cost-effectiveness (43.9%) and cultural beliefs (35.5%). More than half of respondents believed TBS to be as or more effective than formal medical care but knowledge of devastating complications such as gangrene and compartment syndrome was critically low. Bivariate analysis showed that TBS use was not significantly correlated with any of the sociodemographic variables studied including gender, religion, education, occupation, ethnicity, income, and age (p>0.05). These findings suggest that TBS use in Indonesia is a culturally normalized, cross-cutting behavior, sustained by social networks, positive perceptions of effectiveness, and limited awareness of severe clinical risks. There is a need for culturally appropriate community-based interventions and targeted public education on TBS-related complications.