African Americans are substantial users of CAM therapies, yet little is known about their patterns of CAM use and what factors predict their use of CAM modalities. Using the Andersen Behavioral Model of Health Services Use, this project willaddress 4 specific aims: 1) To describe patterns of CAM use in African Americans in terms of use of any CAM within lifetime, use of any CAM within the last 12 months, use of each of the specific CAM modalities, and use of CAM to treat a specific condition; 2) To test how well the Andersen Model, which includes predisposing, enabling and need for care variables, predicts CAM use (within the last 12 months, within lifetime, specific modalities and treat specific conditions) within the African American population; 3) To extend the Andersen model to include the most prevalent disease states among African Americans and determine if these variables add additional prediction to CAM use while adjusting for predisposing, enabling, and need for care variables; and 4) To identify typologies of CAM use (e.g., prayer only, prayer and herbals, folk medicine and prayer) by African Americans and explore whether identified patterns of CAM use are associated with demographic (e.g., age, gender) and other socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., insurance, education). To address the 4 major aims of this study, data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) will be used. The proposed study is intended to increase the understanding of the prevalence and patterns of CAM use in African Americans and of factors that influence CAM use including medical conditions that are common among African Americans. Findings from this study will provide direction for future research involving the social and cultural context of CAM use in African Americans. In addition, if certain patterns or clusters of CAM usage are identified and related to demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, further research will focus on better understanding these CAM use clusters using primary data collection methods. Long-term objectives are to enhance the provision and effectiveness of health care interventions in African American populations and to generate research questions for future investigations of CAM use in African Americans. ?
| Barner, Jamie C; Bohman, Thomas M; Brown, Carolyn M et al. (2010) Use of complementary and alternative medicine for treatment among African-Americans: a multivariate analysis. Res Social Adm Pharm 6:196-208 |
| Brown, Carolyn; Barner, Jamie; Bohman, Tom et al. (2009) A multivariate test of an expanded Andersen Health Care utilization model for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in African Americans. J Altern Complement Med 15:911-9 |
| Brown, Carolyn M; Barner, Jamie C; Richards, Kristin M et al. (2007) Patterns of complementary and alternative medicine use in African Americans. J Altern Complement Med 13:751-8 |
