{"title":"Qualitative study of the use of traditional healing by asthmatic Navajo families.","authors":"David Van Sickle, Frank Morgan, Anne L Wright","doi":"10.5820/aian.1101.2003.1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite increasing prevalence of asthma among American Indians and/or Alaska Natives, little is known about their use of traditional healing in its management. A convenience sample of 24 Navajo families with asthmatic members (n=35) was interviewed between June 1997 and September 1998. While 46% of families had previously used traditional healing, only 29% sought traditional healing for asthma. Use of traditional healing was unrelated to use of biomedical therapies, hospitalizations, or emergency services. Practical factors and questions about the nature and origins of asthma were the primary considerations determining use of traditional medicine. Little conflict between traditional healing and biomedical treatment was reported. The use of traditional healing for asthma is influenced by beliefs about the disease and factors specific to the individual, including their local social, economic, and cultural context.</p>","PeriodicalId":46147,"journal":{"name":"American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research","volume":"11 1","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2003-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"25","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.5820/aian.1101.2003.1","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 25
Abstract
Despite increasing prevalence of asthma among American Indians and/or Alaska Natives, little is known about their use of traditional healing in its management. A convenience sample of 24 Navajo families with asthmatic members (n=35) was interviewed between June 1997 and September 1998. While 46% of families had previously used traditional healing, only 29% sought traditional healing for asthma. Use of traditional healing was unrelated to use of biomedical therapies, hospitalizations, or emergency services. Practical factors and questions about the nature and origins of asthma were the primary considerations determining use of traditional medicine. Little conflict between traditional healing and biomedical treatment was reported. The use of traditional healing for asthma is influenced by beliefs about the disease and factors specific to the individual, including their local social, economic, and cultural context.
期刊介绍:
American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research: The Journal of the National Center is a professionally refereed scientific journal. It contains empirical research, program evaluations, case studies, unpublished dissertations, and other articles in the behavioral, social, and health sciences which clearly relate to the mental health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives. All topical areas relating to this field are addressed, such as psychology, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, anthropology, social work, and specific areas of education, medicine, history, and law. Through a standardized format (American Psychological Association guidelines) new data regarding this special population is easier to retrieve, compare, and evaluate.