Global Wellness Perspectives: A Qualitative Study from Rural and Urban Mozambique

Background: Wellness is a multidimensional construct integrating domains such as physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual to inform an individual’s holistic health and well-being. Wellness promotion efforts are primarily based on Western models that largely fail to consider cultural norms or account for contextual challenges. Mozambique is a significantly financially challenged country in Africa with approximately 46% of people living below the poverty line, which has a direct impact on access to education and essential services and creates barriers to health and wellness. Methods: This study utilized a qualitative research approach employing semi-structured interviews with urban and rural Mozambique residents. Seventeen participants were included in the study. Analysis: An Applied Thematic Analysis (ATA) was conducted as a means of identifying pertinent themes using rigorous qualitative methodology resulting in four primary themes. Results: Emergent themes included Belief and Connection to a Higher Power, Economic Challenges and Access to Resources, Interconnected Domains of Wellness, and Reciprocal Family and Community Connections. Conclusions: To facilitate wellness promotion across cultures, existing models should be adapted to highlight cultural norms, beliefs, and practices, as well as consider contextual challenges and barriers. Wellness promotion practices across cultures should incorporate collaboration between providers and community members to gain an in-depth understanding of the strengths and barriers of community systems and ensure that promotion efforts are designed to meet the specific needs of the family and community systems while valuing and building on unique cultural and contextual strengths.