North Carolina Latino Farmworkers' Use of Traditional Healers: A Pilot Study.
Farmworkers in the United States experience high rates of injury and illness but have limited access to conventional health care. Farmworkers are often from countries that have active traditional healers, so understanding the use of traditional healers among farmworkers is important. This pilot study (1) describes the use of traditional healers among farmworkers and (2) compares the use of traditional healers by farmworkers with other Latino immigrants. Interviews were conducted in 2015 with 100 Mexican farmworkers (80 men, 20 women) and 100 Mexican immigrant non-farmworkers (50 men, 50 women) in North Carolina. Most farmworkers (78%) had H-2A visas. More farmworkers (64%) than non-farmworkers (41%) had ever used traditional healers. Among farmworkers, 21% (vs. 11% of non-farmworkers) had used curanderos, 54% (vs. 32%) sobadores, 43% (vs. 21%) hueseros, 11% (vs. 13%) yerberos, and 4% (vs. 6%) espiritualistas. More farmworkers had used a traditional healer in the past year (16% vs. 8%), but fewer had used this healer in the United States (4% vs. 8%). Among all participants, males (58.5%) more than females (41.4%) (P = .0214), and returning to Mexico annually (64.1%) more than who do not (45.1%) (P = .0086) had ever used any traditional healer. This pilot study indicates the need for further research that documents the use of traditional healers by Latino farmworkers with diverse visa statuses, from countries in addition to Mexico, and in other regions in the United States. This research should also delineate the specific illnesses and injuries for which Latino farmworkers use traditional healers.
a Department of Family and Community Medicine , Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.|b Center for Worker Health, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.
Thomas A
TA
Arcury
a Department of Family and Community Medicine , Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.|b Center for Worker Health, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.
Joanne C
JC
Sandberg
a Department of Family and Community Medicine , Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.|b Center for Worker Health, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.
Dana C
DC
Mora
c Department of Biostatistical Sciences, Division of Public Health Sciences , Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.
Jennifer W
JW
Talton
b Center for Worker Health, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.|d Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences , Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem , North Carolina , USA.
Sara A
SA
Quandt
D000328:Adult; D000067565:Farmers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012423:Rural Health; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology*
Complementary medicine; Latino farmworkers; health services; traditional healers