Table 1 Overview of categories of identified cultural determinants

Illness perception/behaviour and health-seeking behaviour

Attitudes, knowledge and beliefs towards URTI symptoms (serious or self-limiting, belief in the healing power of the body, fear of complications), initial coping strategies, threshold for consulting a GP, in particular for self-limiting diseases.

[18, 21, 24, 25, 27]

Individual experience

Previous experience of similar episodes.

[27]

Antibiotic awareness

Attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and perceptions towards antibiotics (their effectiveness in speeding recovery and preventing complications, their adverse effects, antibiotic resistance).

[13, 19, 21, 23, 25–27]

Drug perception

Perception towards antibiotics and symptomatic medication: scepticism towards medications and fear of toxicity, or considered as accelerators of the healing process with fear of complications if no medicines were used.

[24, 27]

Labelling of diagnosis

Perception of what is considered as a real symptom and use of labels.

[27]

Work ethos

Behaviour towards work: continue working in spite of illness or stop working to let the body recover and avoid transmitting infection to others.

[13, 27, 28]

Practitioner perception

Perception of their practitioner’s competence, trust in the practitioner.

[12, 19, 20]

RTI management

Attitudes towards RTI, management, including decision-making.

[12, 24, 28]

Initial training

Orientation of initial medical training (hospital-centred or outpatient-centred).

[28]

Antibiotic awareness

Attitudes towards and beliefs concerning antibiotics.

[12, 24]

Legal complaints

Antibiotic prescription to avoid legal complaints.

[28]

Practice context

Perceived patients’ expectations, patient education strategies, prescription patterns.

[12, 28]