Exploring Folk Health Practices in Latinos With Chronic Medical Conditions

Exploring Folk Health Practices in Latinos With Chronic Medical Conditions

This study will explore how culture influences the use of folk healing practices and medical services in Latinos with chronic medical conditions.

Sociocultural aspects of using ethnomedical health practices in a community-based Latino population will be described using both qualitative and quantitative survey methods. This study will rely heavily on its descriptive section, which will use in-depth, open-ended questions in a semi-structured personal interview format following qualitative research principles. It will also use closed-ended questions in a short survey format to begin to explore some variables that may be associated with using traditional healing practices. These variables include level of acculturation, degree of family social support, degree of adherence to standard medical regimens, perceived health status, presence of depressive symptoms, and severity of co-illnesses. These variables will be examined using common, validated scales.

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants will be self-identified, adult men and women from the community setting. The sample comprise a convenience sample, including persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American, South American, or other Spanish speaking culture.

1. Latino men and women over the age of 18
2. Those self-identifying as having at least one chronic medical condition including:diabetes, hypertension, asthma, history of heart disease or stroke or musculoskeletal disease (arthritis).
3. Those reporting use of complementary or alternative therapies, including ethnomedical healing practices or practitioners.
4. Those who speak English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria:

Individuals who refuse to participate.