Utilization of curanderos among foreign born Mexican-American women attending migrant health clinics.
This study explores the parallel use of "folk healers" and modern medicine among foreign born, Mexican-American women attending migrant health clinics in rural, eastern Washington state. Face-to-face interviews (n = 434) revealed that 21.4% of the women had sought care from curanderos within the past five years. Statistically significant predictors of utilization included Spanish as the language of preference (odds ratio = 2.58), having resided in the U.S. from one to five years (odds ratio = 2.82), and having received medicine or medical care from Mexico within the prior five years (odds ratio = 9.22). Implications for providers working in cross-cultural settings are discussed.
Skaer
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College of Pharmacy, Washington State University in Pullman 99164-6510, USA.
Robison
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Harding
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014861:Washington