Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

Abstract #158406

• Slides (pdf) or Handout

Lane P. Johnson, MD, MPH, Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, PO Box 245143, Tucson, AZ 85724, (520) 626-6029, lpj@u.arizona.edu

Type II Diabetes is an enormous and increasing epidemic among minority populations in the Southwest. Understanding patterns of self-care among minority populations is a critical aspect of designing effective prevention, treatment and education strategies. Use of traditional herbal remedies has been shown to be of significance in minority self-care patterns, but there have been few studies of specific remedies used, and very little consideration of the potential efficacy and dangers of herbal remedies. Open-ended structured interviews were conducted with 23 Hispanic women with diabetes receiving health care through two local Community Health Center regarding their herbal remedy use. Chart reviews were conducted to determine differences in treatment efficacy between those patients interviewed and a random sample of Hispanic women with diabetes in the Community Health Center population.

Seventy seven different herbal remedies were documented, and the scientific literature was reviewed as to the potential efficacy and danger of these remedies. Recommendations regarding strategies for eliciting self-care information are offered.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe patterns of herbal remedy use among Hispanic women with diabetes in two Southwestern United States populations receiving care at Community Health Centers
• Compare clinical outcomes between Hispanic women with diabetes who use herbal remedies, and a random sample of Hispanic women with diabetes in the Community Health Center population.
• Evaluate the potential efficacy and dangers of herbal remedies identified in the study.
• Discuss strategies to best elicit patterns of self-care among minority populations.

Keywords: Diabetes, Cultural Competency

Related Web page: www.arizonacert.org/medical-pros/herbs/hispanic-herbs.pdf

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout