Impact of immigration on complementary and alternative medicine use in Hispanic patients

Although previous research has demonstrated frequent complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by Hispanic patients, it remains unclear whether the status of immigration plays a role in the frequency and reasons for use.

A survey of 164 patients from a federally qualified health center in South Central Los Angeles was used; the health center serves a predominantly Latino immigrant patient population. The study included the following variables: patient age; sex; place of birth; number of years living in the United States; CAM use within the last year; and, if positive CAM use, what type(s) and for what condition(s).

Sixty-six percent of patients had used a CAM substance within the past year. Ninety-seven percent of the patients were immigrants (primarily from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala). Differences in CAM use between recently arrived (< or =9 years) and long-term immigrants (> or =10 years) were not significant. Ninety-four percent of patients using CAM reported using herbal/tea/plant-based substances, with the most frequent reason for CAM use being digestive problems. Although most CAM substances were obtained from a market (64%), a not insignificant number of CAM substances were grown at home (23%).

Time since immigration does not seem to impact the frequency of CAM use by Hispanic immigrant patients. Herbal/tea/plant-based substances are frequently used in the Hispanic patient population, often for digestive complaints.