Table 5 Socio-cultural coherence in the treatment of commonly cited medical ailments within and between sampled communities measured with the informant consensus factor (F_ic)

Resolve court cases/reduce prison sentence (SM)

2

9

0.88

Mental illness treatment/improved cognitive ability (M)

4

21

0.85

Improved muscle development/physical appearance (M)

5

14

0.69

Stroke (M)

3

7

0.67

Protect against black magic/bad muti/idliso¹/harm (SM)

6

12

0.55

Rituals/summon spirits (SM)

5

8

0.50

Spiritual protection: infants (SM)

3

5

0.50

Spiritual protection: individual (SM)

33

62

0.48

Spiritual protection: homestead (SM)

15

26

0.44

Predict future/enlightenment (SM)

5

8

0.43

Acquire wealth or good fortune (SM)

10

16

0.40

Fertility (M)

4

6

0.40

Protect livestock/crops (SM)

4

6

0.40

Epilepsy (M)

8

12

0.36

Elicit black magic/harm/idliso¹ to others (SM)

11

16

0.33

Ibekelo² (SM)

5

7

0.33

Increased agricultural yield (SM)

5

7

0.33

Paralysis (M)

4

5

0.25

Exorcism (SM)

9

11

0.20

Arthritis (M)

7

8

0.14

Cold/flu (M)

4

4

0.00

Headaches (M)

4

4

0.00

Kidney stones (M)

4

4

0.00

Shingles (M)

5

5

0.00

Love charms (SM)

4

4

0.00

Protect against crime (SM)

4

4

0.00

Average

6.65

11.19

0.34