Page 90 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

68 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion

INTRODUCTION
With the emergence of such health - related fields as complementary and alternative

medicine (CAM), a new body of knowledge is expanding the horizons of health edu-
cators ’ practice. Culturally competent health educators need to understand the value of
scientific and cultural constructs related to alternative forms of healing.

Health educators are being called on to explore their role in educating the public
at large about complementary and alternative medicine, holistic health, and integrative
healing (Johnson & Johnson, 2004). This chapter provides an overview of the princi-
ples involved in the practice of complementary healing, alternative medicine, and
holistic health, as well as a description of the use of these modalities in the United
States and worldwide. It also includes an analysis of the applications and future chal-
lenges for health education posed by these emerging fi elds.

USE OF CAM

The use of CAM among adults in the United States has been documented by the 2002
National Health Interview Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics (Barnes, Powell - Griner,
McFann, & Nahin, 2004). This study collected information from 31,044 adults, 18 years
of age and older, through computer - assisted personal interviews. Selected results of
this study are presented in Exhibit 4.1 .
Pearson, Johnson, and Nahin (2006) mention that over 1.6 million Americans use
CAM practices for insomnia or sleeping disorders. Of those, 65 percent use herbal
products and 39 percent use mind - body therapies. Barnes et al. (2004) found that CAM
has most commonly been used to treat low - back pain, neck - related problems, joint
pain, and depression. Other uses mentioned by Barnes et al. include the treatment of
sinusitis (1.2 percent), cholesterol problems (1.1 percent), asthma (1.1 percent), hyper-
tension (1.0 percent), and menopause (0.8 percent).
The 2002 National Health Interview Survey revealed that 19 percent of U.S. adults
used herbal medicine, functional foods such as garlic, and animal - based supplements
such as glucosamine during the twelve months preceding the survey. Among the natu-
ral products most often used by respondents were echinacea (40.3 percent), ginseng
(24.1 percent), Ginkgo biloba (21.1 percent), and garlic supplements (19.9 percent)
(Barnes et al., 2004).
A review of the use of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine among
123 member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that CAM and
traditional medicine are widely used around the world. In Africa, over 80 percent of
Ethiopians use traditional medicine. In the Americas, a 1999 study revealed that 70
percent of Canadians have used one or more natural health products. In the Eastern
Mediterranean region, 70 percent of the Pakistani rural population have used CAM
and traditional medicine. In Europe, one - eighth of the British population have tried
complementary or alternative medicine, and 90 percent of these people are ready to use

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