Generational Change, Folk Medicine, and Medical Self-Care in a Rural Appalachian Community

Cavender, Anthony; Beck, Scott H.

doi:10.17730/humo.54.2.10nv346252n6m3v3

Cited by 25 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Overlap and variation of specific home remedy use for particular conditions among white and African American elders is consistent with research conducted independently by Mathews 15 and Cavender. 13–14 Women’s increased use of home remedies may be associated with their caregiving role in the family and associated knowledge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Home Remedy Use Among African American and White Older Adults

Quandt

Sandberg

Grzywacz

et al. 2015

Journal of the National Medical Association

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Home remedy use is an often overlooked component of health self-management, with a rich tradition, particularly among African Americans and others who have experienced limited access to medical care or discrimination by the health care system. Home remedies can potentially interfere with biomedical treatments. This study documented the use of home remedies among older rural adults, and compared use by ethnicity (African American and white) and gender. A purposeful sample of 62 community-dwelling adults ages 65+ from rural North Carolina was selected. Each completed an in-depth interview, which probed current use of home remedies, including food and non-food remedies, and the symptoms or conditions for use. Systematic, computer-assisted analysis was used to identify usage patterns. Five food and five non-food remedies were used by a large proportion of older adults. African American elders reported greater use than white elders; women reported more use for a greater number of symptoms than men. Non-food remedies included long-available, over-the-counter remedies (e.g., Epsom salts) for which “off-label” uses were reported. Use focused on alleviating common digestive, respiratory, skin, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Some were used for chronic conditions in lieu of prescription medications. Home remedy use continues to be a common feature of the health self-management of older adults, particularly among African Americans, though at lower levels than previously reported. While some use is likely helpful or benign, other use has the potential to interfere with medical management of disease. Health care providers should be aware of the use of remedies by their patients.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,14,24 The lists were restricted to items frequently mentioned in prior data collection, commonly available in the population, and that had significant time depth. The food home remedy list included honey, lemon, vinegar, baking soda, and salt.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Home Remedy Use Among African American and White Older Adults

Quandt

Sandberg

Grzywacz

et al. 2015

Journal of the National Medical Association

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“…Use of complementary and alternative therapies, including herbs, changes with age Zeilmann et al, 2003). Herb use compared to use of other complementary and alternative remedies may also be particularly relevant to older adults as the health culture in which they were raised may have included the use of herbs and other home remedies (Cavender & Beck, 1995;Frate, Croom, Frate, Juergens, & Meydrech, 1996).…”

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confidence: 99%

Herbal Remedy Use as Health Self-Management Among Older Adults

Arcury

Grzywacz²,

Bell³

et al. 2007

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences an

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Objectives. Guided by the self-regulatory model, we describe the proportions of older adults who include herbal remedies in their health self-management, determining differences in herb use in terms of personal and health characteristics, indicators of culture, and personal resources.Methods. Data were from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, which included a supplement on the use of herbal remedies. We limited the present analysis to adults aged 65 and older who were Black, Hispanic, Asian, or White.Results. Herbs were an important component of the health self-management of older adults. Whereas about one quarter of Asian and Hispanic elders used herbal remedies, about 10% of Black and White elders used them. Older adults differed by ethnicity in the herbs they used and their reasons for using herbs. Predictors of herb use included gender, age, and health status. Ethnicity and region of the country, indicators of culture, and education, a personal resource, were significant predictors of herb use when personal and health characteristics were controlled.Discussion. A complex set of factors is associated with the inclusion of herbs in the health self-management of older adults, with cultural and personal resources being extremely important.

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“…Use of food and beverages to treat sleep difficulties may depend more on regional traditions and the local transmission of knowledge about treatment strategies. 43 Rural regions in northern New York and North Carolina have distinctive histories and cultures; it is therefore expected that there would be some variation in interpretation of and self-care responses to sleep difficulties. Widespread advertisements for over-the-counter medication for sleep problems may influence their patterns of use.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Reported Sleep Difficulties and Self-Care Strategies Among Rural Older Adults

Sandberg

Suerken

Quandt

et al. 2013

J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med

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This study examined the use of self-care strategies to address difficulty sleeping among community-dwelling older adults. Data were collected from a series of 18 questionnaires administered to 195 rural African American and white older adults in North Carolina. Participants reported whether they had experienced difficulty sleeping and strategies used to respond to the symptom. The most widely used strategies included ignoring the symptom, staying in bed or resting, and praying. Herb and supplement use were not reported. Ethnicity, income, and education were associated with use of specific self-care strategies for sleep. This variation suggests that older adults may draw on cultural understandings to interpret the significance of difficulty sleeping and influence their use of self-care strategies, including complementary and alternative medicine use. This information may enable health care providers to communicate with the older patients about sleep difficulty strategies to minimize sleep problems.

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Generational Change, Folk Medicine, and Medical Self-Care in a Rural Appalachian Community

Cited by 25 publications

References 7 publications

Home Remedy Use Among African American and White Older Adults

Home Remedy Use Among African American and White Older Adults

Herbal Remedy Use as Health Self-Management Among Older Adults

Self-Reported Sleep Difficulties and Self-Care Strategies Among Rural Older Adults

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