Reasons for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Usage in Japanese Americans

<p>Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has received much research attention in the last several years due to marked increase in usage in the U.S. To date, findings indicate that 34% of adults in the U.S. report using at least one form of CAM for the maintenance of general health and acute symptoms and such use continue to increase (Astin, 1998; Eisenberg et al., 1993). CAM therapies are also used by those who suffer from chronic physical and psychological symptoms not successfully treated by conventional medicine (Testerman et al., 2004). Though researchers have examined who is using CAM and why they are using it, few have examined these issues within ethnic samples such as in Asian Americans. The Asian American population is important to investigate for much of what comprises CAM originates from Asian cultural traditions. The Asian Values Scale (Kim et al., 1999), Illness Behavior Questionnaire (Pilowsky, 1969), and 3 vignettes adapted from Crock et al. (1999), were used to investigate the relationship between Asian cultural values, Asian health beliefs and CAM usage for psychological, somatic, and physical symptoms in sixty-nine Japanese-Americans. Results demonstrated an association between a marked concern about one’s health with less acculturation, education, income and poor perceived health. Results also demonstrated that Japanese-Americans who adhere to Asian cultural values will use CAM when they are feeling a significant amount of distress about their health. Furthermore, it was found that when they begin to worry about the state of their physical health in particular, they are more likely to use CAM. Limitations of the study, research implications, and treatment implications are discussed.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year

2005

Author dc:creator

• Stratis, Theodora

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kelly R. Morton
• David V. Chavez
• Louis E. Jenkins

• Alternative and Complementary Medicine
• Psychology
• Complementary Therapies; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Asian Americans.

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/812

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1978