190455 A Pilot Investigation of Hmong Healthcare Practices in Fresno County

Monday, October 27, 2008

Chia Thao , Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Scholar, California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA
Miguel A. Perez, PhD , Department of Health Science, California State University, Fresno, Fresno, CA
Purpose: The objective of this study was to pilot test an instrument designed to investigate Hmong healthcare practices and awareness in Fresno County, California.

Method: Data for this pilot study were collected using a 27 item instrument modified from a previous study developed by the Orange County Health Department. The instrument was written in English, translated to Hmong, and back translated to English. The researchers randomly selected participants attending the Hmong New Year celebration in Fresno to participate in this study.

Results: Data were collected from 51 participants aged 18 and over during the Hmong New Year Celebration in Fresno County. Results from this pilot study indicates a high percentage of the Hmong in Fresno County continuing to use traditional healing practices including shaman and herbal medicines before consulting allopathic providers. The results divulge that over half of the participants are not aware of low and/or free medical services that were available to them in Fresno County.

Conclusions: Understanding the health care practices of diverse cultural groups is the first step in decreasing health care disparities. This finding indicates the need to increase outreach services designed to educate the Hmong population about low cost medical options that are available to them. In addition, the lack of trained personnel to facilitate communication with health care providers also indicates an increased demand of services in the Hmong community.

Learning Objectives:
1. A better understanding of the Hmong healthcare practices and healing systems. 2. Knowing what healing practices are still carrying on in to the American healthcare system.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have presenting on the Central California Research Symposium and the Ronald E. McNair Research Symposium.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

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.

See more of: PHEHP Student Award Winners
See more of: Public Health Education and Health Promotion