Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal (Dec 2018)
US Filipino Adults’ Patterns of CAM Use and Medical Pluralism: Secondary Analysis of 2012 National Health Interview Survey
Abstract
The cultural health beliefs of the Filipino population and colonial history of medicine in the Philippines could mean high use of complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) and increased engagement in medical pluralism (i.e., combined use of conventional medicine and CAM) among the US Filipino population, the 4th largest immigrant group in the United States. However, there is limited research regarding US Filipinos’ health behaviors related to CAM use and medical pluralism engagement. The purpose of this study was to explore patterns of CAM use and medical pluralism practices of Filipino adults living in the US. Data from Filipino adult respondents of the 2012 National Health Interview Survey adult CAM supplement were analyzed to determine most common CAM used, most common conditions for which CAM was used as a treatment, reasons for using CAM for treatment of health conditions, and sources of recommendations for CAM as a treatment in this population. Dietary supplements were the most common CAM used by Filipino adults living in the US. A small number of US Filipino adults reported using CAM to treat pain-related and cardiovascular conditions, with the most common source of recommendations coming from friends and family members. Most common reasons for using CAM for treatment of health condition were: CAM is natural; CAM had a holistic approach, and CAM could be taken/practiced independently. Based on the findings of the study, Filipino adults living in the US engage in a pluralistic approach to health by using CAM for treatment of health conditions. Analysis of the 2012 NHIS adult CAM supplement provided an overview of Filipino adults’ patterns of CAM use and medical pluralism; however, future research is still needed to explain such health behaviors patterns.
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