Use and implications of ethnomedical health care approaches among Central American immigrants

Although Latinos in the United States often share similar cultural values and health beliefs, there are differences among Central American South American, Mexican, and Caribbean Latinos. Central American health beliefs and practices are largely influenced by religious and indigenous worldviews. Health care providers in the United States may fail to recognize or accept the many ethnomedical approaches to treatment. This descriptive study assesses the use of ethnomedical approaches and the illnesses for which these approaches are used among 76 Central Americans in the District of Columbia. The results indicate the importance of understanding and integrating cultural and spiritual influences on health-related schemata and their effect on health care use and delivery.